Sins of the Father
by FantasyBard
Summary: With a hunter on the loose in LA, no one is safe. Where do alleigiances lie? Questions of right and wrong, mortal and immortal are due to be answered, one way or another.
1. Forward

Hello fellow Moonlight fans. I am back with a brand new story. I am very excited about this one, because it has been one which has been rolling around in my head for a few years now, and I have finally gotten around to putting it down on paper. This is basically the story of how I imagine Beth's turning, and it also interweaves several other themes, like honor, family, revenge and of course, love. I'm hoping that it will have all of the makings of a great Moonlight story, with a few twists and turns along the way.

In the time line of my Moonlight universe, this story takes place about a year after Family Feud and one year before Viva Las Vegas. I should also warn people that this is going to be a rather dark story in points, so be prepared for that.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form own Moonlight. It belongs to CBS. I just go to the universe that I wish could have been for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of those who read.

Sins of the Father is rated T for scenes of violence, torture, and sexuality.

And now that we have all of the business out of the way, I am pleased to present, Sins of the Father. Please enjoy.

Forward:

_I keep my promises for thousands of generations, and forgive evil and sin; but i will not fail to punish children and grandchildren down to the third and fourth generations for the sins of their fathers. Exudus 6:7  
><em>  
>He sat in one of the far back tables of an elegant restaurant in St. Paul's, Minnesota. He had not yet ordered, telling the waiter that he was expecting two other people to join him. He had short black hair, streaked through with silver. His bright black eyes had a way of seeing everything and everyone without anyone else being aware of it. That quick gaze went well with unnatural quick reflexes. Those two things were the reason he was still alive today. In his line of work, being one step ahead of the competition could mean the difference between life, death, or severe injury.<p>

He still bore the scars of his encounters with those inhuman, blood-sucking monsters. One of his hands was permanently crippled, a souvenir of his first hunt. It had been a failure, as most first attempts were; it was a good thing his father had been there to back him. Bernard had not held it against him, however, saying that he had showed spirit and promise, and that was enough. But, failure had only been present when he was a boy. Since that time, he had brought to ground many of his enemies.

But, of course, such things did not matter at this moment. Right now, he had more important things to worry about. He glanced over the article that he had been reading in the newspaper.

_Kenneth Severn, a Doctor with a PH.D in medical research, has long been on the forefront of experimental medicine. However, for the past fifteen years, his criminal record and subsequently his license have sometimes been under close scrutiny. _

_Severn has been in prison several times over the years, on the charges of forgery and thievery. Despite these blots on his record and the jail time, his reputation of being a brilliant research physician has not diminished. _

_Severn might now be facing his biggest challenge yet with the release of an experimental drug about to be distributed in hospitals in the Los Angeles, Portland and New York areas. This could be Kenderick's last chance to redeem his image._

_The drug is said to be a miracle worker. Several scientists have said that it could open the doorway to cures for cancer, Parkinson's' Disease and Alzheimer's. However, there have also been voices of dissent among top medical researchers, saying that the drug is untested and some of the elements are unfamiliar. They say the possibility of dangerous side effects could do more harm than good. _

_Kenderick himself was unable to be reached for comment. However, one thing is certain: this could be Kenderick's biggest challenge between being remembered as a medical failure or a miracle worker. _

Kenneth Severn was Scott's name sake to the outside world. He had found it prudent to change his name for the sake of his work. Ostensibly, he was a doctor. The modern times meant that he had to have some sort of cover for his activities, and some way to provide a living for himself. The days when being a Hunter was enough to earn a living, not to mention respect, were long gone. Had he tried to go around the world as Scott Kenderick, he knew that there would be a lot more attention paid to him and his lifestyle.

He didn't bother to read the rest of the article. He had seen a dozen like it over the course of the last few weeks. This was one of the more balanced he had read of his previous exploits, and one of the better written. One Beth Turner, a freelance journalist from out of LA. He might want to keep an eye on her work. Unbiased reporting from someone outside the secret might be an asset to him, especially since that was one of the places where his new drug, Evampira, would be tested. And of all the cities, it was Los Angeles that he wanted to keep the closest eye on.

He could almost taste his vindication. When this drug succeeded, no one would question anything else he did or what he had done. Scott knew that his days as a Hunter were coming to an end. His hand and his age were beginning to catch up with him. He still had one more kill to make however, one that he had promised himself he would complete nearly 25 years before, when he had seen his father murdered before his very eyes. He had searched a long time for the vampires responsible, and now that he knew for sure where they were, he would not let anything stand in his way of seeing justice done.

But, a part of him was also longing for the peace of retirement. Ever since making the breakthrough a few years before, perfecting it had become something of an obsession. He was looking forward to pursuing his research full time. The possibilities he had seen with the blood he had harvested seemed endless. It was truly ironic, that the predators, who only lived for the hunt and the kill, should themselves be the architects for life. Of course, they could only be dead in order for that to happen, which was all for the best.

He was brought out of his musings by the sound of two people coming into the restaurant. A smile spread across his face and he rose to his feet. Coming towards him were two men, or to be strictly accurate a man and a boy who looked as though he were about to make the difficult leap into manhood.

When he saw Scott, the boy's eyes lit up and he ran towards him. "Dad." He said, as he hugged Scott.

Scott returned the embrace wholeheartedly. "Cory, it's been a long time. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, Dad." Said Cory, as the two of them separated, "I thought it was going to be much longer." He looked down, seeming a little ashamed. "I guess you know what happened to me, last year."

"Yes, the marihuana." Said Scott, seriously, "Yes, I know everything."

"I know what happened, Dad. I never meant for it to get out of hand. I'm so sorry."

"No, no, I won't hear of it, my boy. We were all young once. We do stupid things at your age. I was actually much worse then you and it took me awhile to pull out of it. The only thing I want for you is to make sure that doesn't happen to you. That's why I had Louis come and pull you out."

"Yeah, I was pretty surprised when he showed up." Said Cory, as the three of them sat down.

Cory Reeves was about eighteen years old. He had the facial structure of his father and somewhat of his build. He also had inherited his father's keen vision. However, his eyes were hazel and had a thoughtful look about them. His voice was softer as well, and the long years of hunting and killing so evident in his father's weathered face were unseen in Cory's youthful face. There was something very innocent in his manner, an innocence that Scott had once had, and which he knew with some regret would have to die in order for him to carry on the family legacy.

Louis Thompson was about the same age as Scott. The two had met during a prison stint for forgery. They had discovered that they had a calling to the same mission in life, and when they had gotten out, they had teamed up. However, the overall team changed, Louis was always by Scott's side and doggedly loyal. Louis did not possess the keen sight or reflexes of Scott. However, he did possess one thing in abundance: strength. Louis was a great bear of a man, with think muscles, large hands and legs that resembled tree trunks. He had a buzz of blond hair, and smallish squinty eyes that were of a pale green color. Some might have thought that this rough and tumble appearance meant that Louis was stupid. However, his mind was as sharp and devious as Scott's, and it was thanks to his gift of strategy that he and co-hunter had brought down so much prey.

"I was happy to help." Said Louis, in a deep bass voice, "Your father has saved my hide plenty of times, Cory. I try to return the favor any way that I can."

"And I'm sure that you were probably thinking that you would be in there another six months. But, thanks to a few favors I've pulled in from an old judge friend of mine, you're free and clear."

Cory stared at his father in disbelief. "You mean, I'm free?"

Scott nodded, smiling fondly. "Yes, you are Cory."

"Gee, that's great. Thanks, Dad. But why would you do something like that?"

Scott's face grew serious. He leaned forward and said, "Listen to me, Cory. I didn't take you out of the slammer simply because I wanted to be a good father, though that it certainly part of it. However, I have been thinking a good deal, and I've decided that it's time."

"Dad, what do you mean?"

"It's time for you to learn the family calling, to take up the mantle which had been the same for every Kenderick for the past 200 years. It's time for you to embrace your destiny. We have a flight leaving for Los Angeles this evening. I'll explain everything to you on the way. But, to put it simply, it's time for the hunt to begin."

* * *

><p>Please review and tell me what you think of this first chapter. There is going to be a slow build up of action over these beginning few chapters, and I hope that it will really bring the tension up.<p>

Next chapter: What happens when a place of healing turns deadly? When Carlisle is witness to the violent ad unexpected deaths of not one but many patients in the span of one night, his suspicions are aroused to find out what is causing the epidemic.


	2. Graveyard Shift

This is kind of a short chapter, but I hope to upload another one tomorrow. Still, I hope that you enjoy it.

Graveyard Shift:

_Death is a shadow that always follows the body – English Proverb_

Graveyard Shift. It generally means the shift between midnight and 7:00 in the morning. Those particular hours are slow and long; no matter where one happens to work. It's difficult to stay awake when the body would wish to be in a nice warm bed. No one ever expects there to be anything exciting during the last few hours of the night. In a hospital, especially, there is always a hope that the term graveyard shift will not become a literal phrase.

Dr. Carlisle Duvall was one of the few doctors in the world who actually not only enjoyed pulling an all nighter, he thrived on it. That's because Carlisle had something of an advantage over his human colleagues; being a vampire meant that he was already adapted for a nocturnal lifestyle.

Carlisle's life had not been an easy one. Up until a year ago, he had been constantly on the run from accusations of his past. Now, however, all of that was beginning to change. Ever since clearing his name and being given the protection of Josef Koston, his reputation was slowly, but surely in the process of being rehabilitated. He was in a place where he was safe, comfortable and truly at home for the first time in centuries. He had friends now, and the love of his existence waiting for him every morning. How could he have wanted for anything else?

However, recently, things haven't been going well for him, at least, not in the workplace. A new drug had recently been approved for preliminary testing by the FDA, a drug called Evampira. Now, most of the time, Carlisle was all for testing new drugs. He was a medical researcher after all, and over the centuries had helped in the formation of several drugs that had been beneficial to mankind. However, this Evampira had him worried.

Evampira was, first of all, being hailed as a miraculous cure-all for several diseases. Carlisle had studied medicine, physiology, and biology long enough to know that such a thing was not possible, nor would it ever be possible. Disease was simply to wide-ranging and complex a phenomenon to be neatly solved by one thing. That alone would have been enough to arouse his suspicion.

But there was more: he had not yet been able to study a direct sample of Evampira, since the stuff was considered more valuable than gold at this point, and was kept under heavy guard. However, what he had managed to learn from his colleagues who had studied it told him that this Evampira had potential dangers. There were several unidentified compounds that they had never seen before, and they worried what those compounds might do to a human body, especially one that was weakened by disease.

If Carlisle had been in charge, perhaps he would have postponed the testing. However, humans could sometimes not be logical when it came to matters of defying death. It was maybe understandable that they should have jumped at the chance to cure cancer and heart disease. The initial tests had shown that Evampira did make progress almost immediately. There had been definite improvement in many of the sickest patients.

It had been three months, and so far nothing had happened to further excite Carlisle's suspicions. Until, one night, something happened on the graveyard shift. Carlisle was walking down one of the hallways of the cancer ward. It was 3:30 in the morning. Carlisle hadn't been looking for any sort of trouble, but suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. He listened, inhaled, and after several seconds, he made a short turn to the right, into a darkened room.

It seemed to be like any regular hospital room, efficient and clean, right down to the floor tiles. There was a patient there, seemingly asleep. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. He could even smell that the nurse had come in fifteen minutes earlier to check vitals and put in another IV. And yet, something was definitely wrong. Carlisle could hear the patient's erratic heartbeat and shallow breathing, could smell the spike in the blood stream that signaled the body was fighting off infection, and when he felt her forehead, he could feel the unnatural and unhealthy heat which indicated a temperature. His heart sank as he began to gradually fit all the pieces together. The woman was dying.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, when he heard a nurse entering the room. "Dr. Duvall," She asked in surprise at seeing him there, "is everything all right?"

Carlisle turned to her. 'This woman is going into shock."

The nurse's eyes grew wide and she hurried to the bed. "No, she can't be." She checked the woman's pulse and temperature, before she said, "Oh my God, we're losing her."

"Call the on-duty surgeon." Said Carlisle, "We might be able to save her if we can get her into surgery. Go, now."

The medical staff did their very best, but it was too late. Linda Calverton, mother of three, wife of thirty years, died from acute heart failure caused by a secondary infection at 5:05 in the morning. She had breast cancer and had been showing improvement. She had been up and talking brightly with the nurses only that evening, saying that she was beginning to think that she might be getting better. Her grandson was turning seven and she had hoped to see him on his birthday. But that was not to be.

Linda Calverton was not the only one. Two more people died at UCLA Hospital that night. The place of healing had become a morgue. The graveyard shift had become literal. And Carlisle was determined that it wouldn't happen again, not on his watch. Something was not right. He did not yet know what, but he would do everything in his power to find out.

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><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: An old friend of Mick's is coming to him with a most unusual case. He needs one, because he and Beth are going through a very trying time right now. The questions which they face will either bring them together or destroy them forever.


	3. On The Case

On The Case:

Mick St. John normally was a private investigator who took cases for humans in distress. He used his special abilities to hunt down missing people, drug dealers, and art thefts, as well as the occasional forgery. It had served as a way for him to use his enhanced senses in order to serve a greater good. And he was good at it. He had worked hundreds of cases over many years, and he had never failed one. Not a bad track record for a private detective.

However, most of his clients never knew the reason behind his amazing success. Most of them never knew that he was anything other than a human. Occasionally, though, some vampire from the community would come around to ask for his expertise, and he would oblige.

Though, it must be admitted that even he was surprised when one fine evening, he received a visit from a client that was beyond even his expectations.

Logan Smith was the vampire version of a sloth. He led a life that would have been the envy of any young teenage nerd. His entire life was normally spent in his basement apartment, playing endless games of Guitar Hero, World of Warcraft, and a hundred other video games. When the video or computer games lost their appeal for a few hours, he would turn to fiddling with computer motherboards and modifying other random bits of technology that were stored in his apartment, all neatly in their own little compartments. Despite being rather lazy, Logan wasn't a slob. In fact, when it came to organizing his equipment, he actually approached being OCD.

At any rate, Logan hadn't really ventured out into the real world until three years before, when the incident with Monaghans had meant that the secrecy of the vampire community was in peril. Mick had picked Logan as the perfect candidate to handle the technical aspect of things. He hadn't done to bad on that side, but it was his quick thinking action of running in front of a truck that had really saved the say. That action had gotten Josef's attention and he had told Logan that he would like it if he did more work for him.

Though still staying nestled in his technological cocoon 90% of the time, Logan now occasionally ran projects for Josef and Karlie that were better suited towards going under the wire to keep their secret safe. That meant he got out a little more. However, even Mick had been surprised when Logan had shown up in his office, and even more surprised by the request he made.

"Since when do you have a girlfriend, Logan?"

Logan tried to appear nonchalant, but the truth was he felt a little embarrassed. "Ever since I happened to meet this really amazing girl through on-line gaming. Her name is Antonia Allendenz." He handed Mick a photograph of a woman who looked to be in her mid to late twenties, with dark caramel skin, silky black hair and soft brown eyes. She was smiling warmly.

"Nice, Logan. She a vampire?"

"Yep, about the same age as me, both in terms of immortal life and when we were turned. We sort of hit it off right away, when her Elf Princess teamed up with my Mage Soldier to defeat the Troll King on this one level. It was epic, man."

"Right, all great romances begin like that." said Mick, "What does she do?"

"She's a student actually, one of those vamps who goes to college for a living. Right now, she's at Hearst, studying interior design. She was actually saying that she might want to quite college and try to make a career out of that."

"How long have you been going out?"

"About six months. We managed to meet face to face. Our first date was a Guitar Hero play off. She's almost as good as I am."

"Do you let her win?"

"Of course not, she told me never to go easy on her."

"Sounds like a really romantic night out. This is all fascinating, Logan, but I have to admit I'm kind of having hard time seeing where I fit into all this."

Logan shifted and a troubled look entered his eyes. "Well, about a week ago, she disappeared."

"You mean, she dumped you?"

"No, she actually disappeared. I know it might sound crazy, and for a few days, I even wondered the same thing. But, when I happened to ask one of the girls on the cheerleading team who knows her, she said that hadn't seen Antonia on campus for days. That's totally unlike her. She always attends her classes, when she has them. I began to start wondering if there might be something more going on."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, kidnapped maybe." He saw Mick heave a somewhat impatient sigh. "Laugh all you want, Mick, but this had really got me worried. I've looked everywhere for her and believe me when I say everywhere, I mean it. It's like she's vanished off the face of the earth."

Mick thought that he had heard everything the business, but then something always happened that redefined everything he thought he knew. This case took the prize for unexpected. But at the same time, Logan, while he was sometimes was given to flights of obscure fancy in the realms of technology, was yet pretty level-headed most of the time. Considering that factor, this seemed to be something that he should take seriously, or at least, check out to see where it went.

"All right, what can you tell me? Where did Antonia like to go? Who did she hang out with?"

Logan seemed relieved that Mick was willing to listen to him. "She didn't live on campus. That would have attracted too much attention even for her. She had an apartment few miles from Hearst." He handed Mick the address. "Her best friend might be a good place to start. Lisa Marshall, the head of the cheerleading team."

"That's a name that I know. I met Lisa a few years ago during the incident with Emma and Jackson Monahan's."

"Well, Lisa and Antonia have been through the rounds of college more than a few times. But, I think that Lisa would be as good a place to start as any."

"I will." Said Mick, "I'll let you know when I come up with something."

"Thanks, man." said Logan, "You can't guess what this means to me."

* * *

><p>While Mick was starting a new case, in the bedroom upstairs, Beth was working steadily away on her latest assignment. She had graduated six months before with her Bachelor's in journalism, and was about to start her Master's. Already, her work was gathering attention. Her professors had taken notice of her talent, and had sent them out to publishers across the country. There had been complements to her expressive, yet clear style and the unique gift she had of making seemingly any subject immediately understandable.<p>

Beth had found in her schooling that she was not just a crime reporter and that she could write easily on a plethora of subjects. History had popped up as a subject which she had become particularly interested in. One of her best articles had been inspired by Carlisle Duvall, about the unknown heroes of World War II. She had even received a few letters from people who had found out stories of their own relatives as a result of her work. Already, she was fulfilling her dream, and changing her own little corner of the world.

Her current assignment had been on-going for the past few months. One of her professors had approached her with the offer of a story that he thought she might be interested in, a story about the controversial drug, Evampira, and the man behind it, Dr. Kenneth Severn. She had taken to the story with alacrity. Her initial articles had been well-received, and she had been given further permission to go with it. Right now, she was researching the background of Kenneth Sever more extensively. It was a challenging search, and something of a puzzle.

There was a lot of information on Kenneth Severn, but all of it was very vague. She was having no problem finding out the information about his numerous imprisonments for petty crimes, such as forgery and breaking and entering, all of which had carried sentences of less than two years. There was also a great deal of information about the research that he had been involved in. It seemed that he had a great deal of respect for his talents, as well as a great deal of opposition for his sometimes questionable methods of obtaining his information.

But there was less information on what his personal life was like; that seemed to be shrouded in mystery. Beth knew for certain that he was divorced and had a son, but other than that, everything was pretty much speculation. Beth, however, was enjoying the challenge. Figuring out fact from fiction, fitting together the pieces of the puzzle, that was the very thing that she excelled at.

It felt good to have all of her hard work paying off, especially considering that her life the past year had not been easy. First off, her mother had died in a freak car accident, the very day of her graduation. That had devastated Beth. Her mother had been her closest friend and supporter. The suddenness of her death had been as if the last link with her past had been well and truly shattered.

That had created tension in her relationship with Mick. They were still a committed couple, and Beth could not imagine a life without him. However, the death of her mother had forced an issue to the forefront that had been avoided by both of them for the past three years: the issue of turning. As Beth had grieved, she had begun to think seriously about joining Mick in his immortal world. To her mind, there were no impediments now. The last link to her human world was gone. She had begun to see that life was very fragile, and the smallest accident of fortune could take her away from Mick. She didn't want to risk that. Not if she could help it.

Mick, however, saw things in a rather different light. She didn't think he was completely adverse to the idea, but she could tell that there was something about it which gave him great anxiety. He had refused to turn her when she had initially asked and tried to find some way to avoid the subject whenever she even alluded to it.

The issue had always been there, in the background. Every so often, it had been more prevalent then at others. But, as long as Beth was content with her life as a human, there had been no reason for her to leave it. Now, she just wanted to be with Mick.

It was more than a little frustrating to Beth She was trying to understand, but there were times when she simply couldn't take anymore and there had been more than a few arguments between them. Still, Beth knew that she would still stay with Mick. She did hope, though, at some point that she would understand why Mick was so reluctant to turn her.

* * *

><p>So, there is tension between Mick and Beth, is there? That can't be good. Again, these beginning chapters are mainly build up to the main story, once the hunters come to LA and start to make their presence known, then the action will really start to pick up. Still, hope that you are all enjoying it. Please, read and review, as always.<p>

Next chapter: The comforts of home can speak volumes for a troubled soul. This espcially becomes true for Karlie and Josef. However, in the home of Travis and Simone, bigger dangers are looming, as Simone has a secret of a family history that is sordid to say the least.


	4. The Comforts of Hope

The Comforts of Home:

It had been a long week for Karlie Dashwood. There had been several orders of silk from Milan which had somehow wound up in Bangkok, and the beadwork from India had gotten hung up because of an airline strike in London. Nothing was arriving when it was supposed to, or if it was, it was either late or in less than stellar condition. What's more, there were two high profile shows coming up in less than a month and there were three new designers under her roof, who would be launching lines at them. Scheduling had become a nightmare. In short, the week had sucked big time.

The only good thing about such weeks is that they always come to an end. Thusly, on Friday at about 10:00 at night, Karlie came home, feeling very happy that tomorrow was Saturday. When she returned to the mansion, she heard the television going in the den and knew that Josef was home. He would be surfing the financial channels at this hour. She was actually of the opinion that Josef was probably the sole subscriber of such programs, but since he was rich, the executives just kept them on for him anyway.

She trudged into the room, and found that indeed her husband was sitting on the couch, a glass of scotch in one hand and the remote in the other, watching some program about how the ecological state of a tiny African country was affecting its economy. He looked for all the world like a normal guy relaxing after a hard day's world, only she doubted that many humans did so this late at night, and wearing Armani suits impeccably.

He smiled up at her when she came on. "You know what, you look incredibly familiar. In fact, you're the spitting image of a woman that I used to know. Are you her sister by any chance?"

Karlie huffed. "Very funny, Josef. I highly doubt you would be able to forget me so easily."

"You haven't been home half of the time. I could have gone into depression and tried to erase all remainder of you from my mind."

Karlie rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, have you been feeling deprived? Codependency is very unattractive, Josef."

Josef grinned and putting both the remote and the scotch on the coffee table in front of the couch, he held out his arms to her. "You look like you've been through hell, Karlie. Come here and let me put my arms around you and help you relax."

"I'm not in the mood for making out on the couch, Josef."

"I wasn't thinking of that, but the offer is always open for you. Just come over so I can put my arms around you. It's been over a week since I last held you. I don't want to forget what it feels like."

The simple sincerity of the statement was quite enough to make nearly all of Karlie's frustrations melt away. She came over and sat down on the couch, beside Josef. She leaned against him and Josef put his arms around her shoulders, running his fingers through her hair and along her arm in a soothing manner.

"I'm sorry I snapped." She said, "You're right, it has been hell at work this past week."

"What is married life for if not to take your frustrations out on someone?" Said Josef, "I don't mind. I know it's because you don't hate me."

"Most of the time." said Karlie, with a grin.

"If it's any consolation, I haven't had the best of weeks, either."

Karlie looked at him. "The economy hasn't bottomed out in Sweden has it?"

"If only it were that simple. It's Simone. She's been acting weird all this week. One minute, she's fine, the next crazy angry, then she's crying. It's weird. I've never known her to act like that."

"Now that you mention it." said Karlie, "Travis has mentioned that Simone wasn't feeling well. Maybe you've been working her to hard."

"Why is it always my fault? And besides, Simone works nearly as hard as I do, even on her bad days. But, she also seems to be feeling sluggish sometimes. She's not getting work down as quickly as she normally did."

"What are you going to do, fire her?"

"Of course now, this is probably just a phrase."

"Maybe she's going through that time of month."

"I never try to notice that about any woman who works for me. Its way to awkward for both of us. Even more so for me since I can always smell it. I'm really glad I don't have to worry about that with you."

"Oh, you have far bigger things to worry about with me, I can assure you. Give Simone a few days, and I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I sure hope you're right. I can't afford to lose a good lawyer like Simone. I think I'm going to need her to sort out this whole Evampira thing."

"I've heard about that drug. How is it affecting you?"

"Well, for starters, it's got the medical market in an uproar. I haven't seen such excitement and controversy over a drug for years, it's kind of exciting. People say that Evampira needs more testing, others that the restrictions on it should be lessoned, so that it can be better distributed. It's almost entertaining. Even my company is feeling it. I've got a feeling some will be asking if their medical insurance will cover it."

"Are you going to?"

"Don't know yet, I don't trust miracle drugs. But I am intrigued. Anything that causes that much excitement in the medical world is worth looking into. Now, enough with the business talk. How about tomorrow evening the two of us just go off somewhere by ourselves."

Karlie grinned. "I like the sound of that. What did you have in mind?"

"There's a full moon tonight, the bay looks beautiful in that light."

"The yacht?" said Karlie.

"You read my mind, and now I've got some wine that needs to be drunk, and this seems like jut the occasion for it."

"No blood?"

"I'll talk to some of the freshies, see what I can arrange. About 10:00?"

"It's a date."

* * *

><p>The quietness and contentment at the Koston mansion was not necessarily mirrored in homes all across the city. In the home of a certain lawyer and fashion designer, there was an amount of friction which had been there for a few days. And the storm was about to break.<p>

Travis and Simone Demont were very special humans when it came to the world of vampires. For Karlie and Josef, they were the first line of contact with the human world that was ignorant of their secret. Such contacts were not uncommon in the vampire community. However, it was a rare occurrence that these contacts became more than convenience, and became trusted members of the community. Both Travis and Simone had started as freshies to their respective employers, but in time, a bond of trust had developed, so much so that Karlie and Josef now almost considered them an extended family.

Of course, sometimes the closest of families can encounter difficulties. Travis had been noticing that Simone was not herself recently. She always seemed moody and distracted, not to mention that her eating habits had seemed somewhat strange. She didn't seem to be able to hold anything down in the morning, but during the evenings she was ravenously hungry. Travis had also learned from Josef that she had been getting very tired at work recently. None of this was typical Simone behavior, so after listening to her rant about a particularly long and challenging day at work, something that wouldn't normally have made her so upset, Travis made a mistake by asking her about it point blank. "Simone, are you sure that you're feeling all right?"

Simone turned on him so viciously that Travis was startled. "What do you mean am I all right?" she demanded, fiercely, "I take my job very seriously, Travis. I don't allow physical discomfort to get in the way of it."

"I wasn't saying that, I just thought that maybe-"

"Were you honestly suggesting that I should take some time off? I can't do that, Travis, I can't just take a sick day whenever I feel under the weather, than nothing would ever get done."

Travis was a little confused by this point. "Simone, I wasn't thinking that. I didn't even imply it. You don't have to make a big deal out of it. I'm just worried about you."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me." snapped Simone, "I am feeling perfectly fine and I don't need you fawning over me."

Travis didn't really have anything to say to that. He couldn't imagine why Simone was acting so illogical, and he thought it best not to inquire in her present state of mind. She was probably bite his head off if he eluded to it further. "All right, than I guess I'll leave you alone." He turned to leave the room."

Simone was suddenly struck by how stupid she had just acted when Travis was only trying to help. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and called after her husband, "Travis, wait, come back. I'm sorry."

Travis stopped in his exit from the room, turned around and came back. He was always quick to forgive and try to get to the bottom of whatever problem he might be having with his wife. It was part of his easy going nature. He sat down beside her on the couch and took one of her hands in his. "Look, Simone, whatever is the problem, please tell me. Is it something at work?"

"No, it's not that. I have to admit, though, that I might be having a little trouble separating my personal problems from my professional life right now."

"Why? What's the problem?"

Simone hesitated only briefly, before she said, "Well, a few days ago, I got a call from my mother in Minnesota. She had some bad news about my cousin, Scott Kenderick."

Travis looked at Simone in confusion. "Scott Kenderick? That's a name that I've not heard before. I thought that I met all of your relatives at the wedding."

Simone shifted clearly uncomfortable. "He wasn't at the wedding. His part of the family and mine, well, we've never seen eye to eye. In fact, it might be better to say that we are permanently estranged."

"Oh," said Travis, seeing that this was a very awkward subject for his wife to face. "Look, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine."

"No, no, you need to know about this, Travis. You would have found out about it at some point. But it's all very complicated. I don't even know the whole story. Mom never talked about it when we were little, and she hardly speaks of it now. Given what I have heard through the gossip at family gatherings, I'm not really sure that I want to know myself. But what I do goes something like this. The Kendericks have always been something of an enigma. Scott and his father Bernard, well, they were rumored to be unstable."

"Unstable? Like mentally?"

"The way some of the family tells it, they were crazy. They would both disappear for months, sometimes for years on end, and no one would hear from them at all during that time. No one ever really knew what they were doing, or if they did, no one ever told me. But when we did see them after those disappearances, they would always have this strange look about them, as though they had seen nightmares and had lived to overcome them. The first time that I saw Scott Kenderick, I was frightened of him. There was this look in his eyes, a look of obsession and rage that I have never seen in anyone else before."

Travis knew that it took very little to make Simone scared. She had once been a freshie for a vampire, and still worked closely in the vampire world. Nothing ever tripped her up. But he could see that just talking about this Scott Kenderick character sent chills down her spine. "Did he ever do anything to you?"

"No, he didn't care about me. I don't think that he cared about any of us. Mom once told me, that as a family, he felt that we had let him down in some way. I sometimes wonder if he cared about his own wife. You wouldn't know it if he did, considering how often he left her alone. I don't know if he ever abused her, but she never wanted to talk about what life with him was like. One day, she finally got fed up with it, and got a divorce. She got custody of their son, and moved to Minnesota to be near family that she could trust. Life might have gone better for her if she hadn't died suddenly in a car accident a few years later. Cory was only five."

"Cory?"

"Her son, and I actually know him. I grew up with him for a good many years, in fact. My mom took him in and raised him. Scott's wife had made it clear in her will that she didn't want him to have custody."

"And so your mom took in the son of a man that she didn't like. That had to have been hard for her."

"Well, no, it wasn't actually. Cory was family. And Mom, along with everyone else in the family wanted to give Cory the chance of a firm foundation in life. We didn't want him to end up like his father.

"But, strangely, it was at this point that Scott started to come back into our lives on a more regular basis. He managed to get visiting rights to Cory somehow. He seemed almost like a different person with him, so caring and concerned, even loving. He came saw him whenever he could, provided for all of his needs. It was so strange. He actually seemed to take his responsibilities as a father seriously. The family didn't understand it. But I think that a great majority of them were hoping that somehow the death of his wife had changed him for the better, or at least helped him to see that he had to provide for someone besides himself. So, we let it go. All the warning signs were ignored, until a few weeks ago."

"Why? What's happened?"

"Cory turned eighteen a month ago. He's gotten into a little trouble dealing drugs, and was in jail. But, a few weeks ago, Scott somehow was able to get him released and now the two of them have disappeared. And, my mom just discovered some journals of Cory's that he's been keeping secret from us. He kept saying that his father was contacting him in secret, telling him that he was getting ready for some great quest and that he wanted Cory to share it. Apparently, Cory idolized his father more than was thought, because he followed him without any a second thought."

"Do they have any idea where he might be?"

"No, but they are searching for him. None of us want him to become like Scott. Cory was a good kid. He still had a lot of growing up to do, and mistakes to make, but he was so different from Scott, and if he ends up becoming like him…" Simone shook her head, "I don't know what will happen. That's what's been bothering me. I've been really worried, and I feel so helpless."

"Whoa, honey." Said Travis, as he put his arm around Simone's shoulder, "I never thought that it could be anything this bad. I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do."

Simone looked up at him and managed a smile, "You're here, Travis, that's what matters. I'm just glad that I've got you."

It was the end of the conversation, for there was really nothing else that could be said. And for a time, Travis let the matter lie, though he did try to think of things that he could do to help Simone if he could.

But there was one thing which Simone had not told him about her cousin, because she did not know what to think of it herself.

There had always been a legend, a rumor which surrounded that part of her family. It had always been said of the Kendericks that they were hunters, but hunters of a very special sort, hunters of monsters and creatures of nightmare. That was part of the reason why there had been such tension whenever they were brought together. The Kendericks were so committed to this crazy enterprise, so insistent that it was true, that they sacrificed everything else in quest of destroying what they called the enemies of mankind. This included forgetting any claims to family, friends, or the law. Scott himself had been imprisoned more than once, and it was only one of many factors which made so many in her family believe that this crazy quest was the reason why his personal life had become so twisted.

She had never believed that legend, but that was before she had known that there was actually some truth behind it. That was before she had known that vampires actually existed. And now since Scott had disappeared again, along with Cory, she was beginning to have a horrible feeling that perhaps he might be on the hunt again, and that his prey was very real.

Of course, she would not tell Travis this, or anyone else. There was very little chance that Kenderick would be coming here, why would he? It's not like LA was the only place in the country where there were vampires. And besides, she didn't want her name to be connected in the vampire community with that of a hunter. She just couldn't bear that. She was only hopeful that the people who she had come to count as her friends would not become victims of his schemes.

* * *

><p>Oh, the plot thickens. One can only imagine what sort of tensions will be created when this little family connection becomes apparent. Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Mick and Beth are on a case, and what they find in the course of their investigation into a missing vampire will reveal clues about a potiential disaster in LA. And things aren't going to well for Carlisle, either. As deaths conintue to mount at the hospital, he begins to wonder just what they all have in common.


	5. Sleuthing

Sleuthing:

When Beth had found out that Mick was on a case which involved a vampire student from Hearst College, she had asked to help him. Mick had agreed without hesitation. Just because there had been some tension between them of late didn't mean that they didn't work well together. They decided that the best place to start trying to find Antonia was to talk to Lisa herself.

Going to Hearst College during cheerleading practice was the best way to catch her. Lisa was the quintessential college student, in that her appearances in class were just enough to keep her from failing, she loved to party and the only class that she consistently went to was cheerleading.

She and Mick had met before during the scandal with the Monahan's. For the most part, Lisa was a typical vampire, trying to live her life peaceably and not trying to draw any overt attention to herself. She had no desire to bring the community to any danger, and she certainly wouldn't have revealed their secret. That didn't mean that she couldn't have a good time with her vampirism.

When Mick and Beth caught up with her, she was coming out of the locker room, talking and laughing with a group of other girl students. However, when she saw Mick and Beth waiting for her, she excused herself and went over to them. "Mick St. John, I haven't seen you for awhile."

"The world must not be working in your favor." Said Mick, "And I don't think you've been suffering from lack of attention."

"What can I say?" said Lisa, with a carefree shrug, "The boys like us cheerleaders." She looked at Beth. "You must be Beth Turner."

"Yes, I am."

"I've seen you around, in the journalism department. And seeing as you're here with Mick, this must be some sort of sleuthing thing."

"Yes, it is actually." Said Mick, "We're looking into the disappearance of a vampire who was attending here, Antonia Allende, you know her?"

"Know her? Of course. We've been good friends since our sophomore year."

"And how long ago was that?" asked Beth.

"About forty years ago. Antonia was a college vamp, like me, but different. She takes all of her classes in the evening or on-line. She goes to all of them, and actually seems to enjoy it. I can't really understand that, but to each their own, I guess. What do you want to know about her? Is she really missing?"

"I am hoping that there might be a less serious explanation." said Mick, "I received a visit from her boyfriend two days ago." said Mick, "Logan Smith, formerly Logan Griffin. He went through a name change in the last few years. He said that after going out for six months, she suddenly disappeared two weeks ago. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

Lisa considered for a few minutes. "Now, that you mention it, I haven't seen her at all for awhile. Its mid-terms, though, so I guess I didn't really think about it. I just figured that she was busy, like me. But, I do remember one thing that she told me the last time that I spoke to her."

"What did she say?" Mick asked.

"She said that she was getting the feeling that she was being watched."

"Watched? What do you mean?"

"Well, whenever she was walking across campus to her apartment, she could have sworn that people in a black van were following her home. She said that if it were just one drunk admirer she would have been able to take care of it. But, from what she told me, she seemed to think it was something more. Every time she got close to them, she said that they just disappeared."

Beth and Mick looked at each other. This was slightly worrying, though Beth wasn't aware of all the implications. Mick suspected that if Antonia had been being followed, then there was a distinct possibility that she had been targeted by someone who knew or suspected that she was a vampire. If that was the case, then there could be a hunter loose in LA, and that could definitely be trouble.

"Do you know where Antonia was staying?" asked Mick.

"Yeah, she was staying at Maplewood Apartments, a few miles from campus. Some of the vamps who are in perpetual college like me stay there. The proprietor is a vampire, Joel Edgerton. You could ask him if he's seen anything."

"I will." Said Mick, "Thanks, Lisa. You know how to contact me if you remember or see anything else."

"Will do, Mick. I hope you find Antonia. She's a good friend. And I would hate for anything to happen to her. Look, I have to run. The girls and I are planning a shopping trip later this evening."

Mick and Beth said their goodbyes and left the gym. "Well, what do you think?" asked Beth, as they got into the car.

"I don't know. I don't want to jump to any hasty conclusions. But, this is starting to be a bit more serious than I first thought."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd rather not say until we know more."

That wasn't enough to satisfy Beth. "Mick, what's the matter? You can tell me."

Mick hesitated only slightly before he answered, "If this goes the direction that I think it is, and I really hope that it doesn't, there might be a hunter on the loose in LA."

"A vampire hunter? You mean to tell me that there are people in real life like Van Helsing?"

"Yeah, there are." Said Mick, as he started the car, and began to drive to Antonia's address. "They're just not easy to find nowadays. According to Josef, they were prevalent in the 1600's and the 1700's, and even more before then. As science has replaced myths, so our existence had become a legend, and the cult of vampire hunting has gradually died out. But there are still groups of them out there, and they can be extremely dangerous."

"Can't you defend yourselves like you could against another vampire?"

"Vamp hunters are a danger in their own league, Beth. There's a reason why vampires need to keep our existence hidden. It if came to a conflict, humans would almost certainly win. There will always be more of you humans and you'll have the advantage of being able to operate in the daytime. Vampire hunters are a threat because even if there are few of them, they know our weaknesses. They train their whole lives to hunt us. Many times in a fight between a hunter and a vampire, it's the hunter who comes out victorious."

"Sounds like you've had experiences."

"Well, not me specifically. There was that incident with that serial killer a few years back, but he was a single entity, not part of a group. And he almost got me, if you remember. Josef has some pretty harrowing stories, and so does Carlisle. I've been lucky, I guess. But I still know that vampire hunters are nothing to ignore. If we find any evidence at Antonia's apartment, then I'm going to have to tell Josef."

"You think we'll find anything?"

"I hope not. If there is a hunter in town, it means that there is nothing but trouble up ahead."

* * *

><p>Beth and Mick managed to gain access to Antonia's apartment fairly easily. Once they told Joel, the vampire owner that they were searching for her, he allowed them inside. Mick wasn't sure what they would find, but the first rule of any missing person case was to go back to the place where the person felt the safest.<p>

When they first came into the apartment, it seemed to be a typical living area. "Do you smell anything out of the ordinary?" Beth asked.

Mick inhaled slightly. "Well, I can definitely tell you that Antonia hasn't been here in at least three days. That coincides with what Lisa said."

"That can't be good." Said Beth, as she started looking around the living room. Beth had an eye for noticing details that even a vampire might have missed. "I don't think that she was panning on leaving either." She gestured to the laptop which was open on the coffee table, as well as several interior design books open on the table. "I think that if she was planning on a trip in the middle of the semester. She would have brought her work with her."

Mick nodded. He was troubled, this was all too normal, but there was something that struck him as being not right. He smelled something underneath the normal, everyday smells of a vampire establishment. An undercurrent, however slight, of uncertainty and fear. That was not normal, especially for vampires.

Beth herself was struck by something wrong about the atmosphere, though she wouldn't have been able to say why. Two years of being around vampires had made her aware of certain signals when things were out of the ordinary, and those signals were kicking in big time. She noticed, buried under one of the textbooks, a journal. Acting on instinct, she grabbed the book and started to flip through the pages. "What did you find?" Mick asked, once he noticed her actions.

"I think this is Antonia's journal." Said Beth, "I don't really know what I'm looking for." She turned to a page that had been dated a few months before "Look, here she talks about meeting Logan for the first few times."

They read through the entries. "Well, I think that she liked him a lot from what I'm seeing." Said Beth, "I can't understand why she would just disappear without a word."

"Wait, go back a page." Said Mick, his keep vampire vision had picked up some words that set him on edge. Beth flipped the page to the entry that was marked ten days prior. Mick read over the entry and then scanned the others until they ended three days before. "She says that she keeps seeing a dark van at night." He said, "She begins to get the strangest feeling that her movements are being tracked, especially going to and from classes, almost as if someone were trying to map her regular movements. She tries to investigate, but each time she makes a move, the van and who's ever inside it leaves."

"It seems to have really frightened her." said Beth, "Look, she said that she couldn't bring herself to see Logan because she was afraid that she would be placing him in danger." She looked at Mick. "Does that sound like a hunter behavior?"

Mick shook his head. "I don't know, but this feels like to much of a coincidence. If this were just a normal stalker, Antonia should have known how to deal with him. I want to look into this further. I want to stake out this apartment complex over the next few nights."

"Why?"

"Antonia's not the only student vampire living out of this complex. If there is a hunter out there, then this might be a target. I want to see if this black van turns up again."

"Well, then I'm coming with you."

"Beth, no. this could be a dangerous situation."

"If they are vampire hunters, then you're the one who's going to be in danger. You'll need someone whose not a target watching your back."

"Beth, it's more complicated than that. Vampire hunters usually have no qualms about killing humans who help us. They claim that they bring it upon themselves for helping the enemy."

Beth folded her arms, stubborn determination written clearly on her face. "Mick, I want to help you. I might only be a mere human-"

"Beth, that's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Let me finish. I may only be a human, but I've stuck by your side, no matter what the danger, and I'm still alive. What's a potential danger for you concerns me as well, and you can't leave me out of it."

Mick opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it again. He really didn't want to argue with Beth. Things between them were stressful enough as it was. Besides, when she made her mind up about something, it was almost impossible for anyone to talk her out of it.

"Fine, you can come. But, if I say stay in the car, stay in the car this time. I don't want any hunter marking you as a threat."

Beth nodded, not exactly happy with the arrangement, but knowing that she had to show some sort of compromise. Beth and Mick agreed that they would set up a stake out for tomorrow night and see if they could find anything. Little could they have expected just what that be.

* * *

><p>Carlisle Duvall arrived home from another graveyard shift at the hospital. He was thoroughly drained. This had been the week from hell. That being the case, the rapturous greeting of his large German shepherd Labrador/ mix of five different other breeds was particularly welcome.

"Oh, Felix, you're a welcome sight to come home to after this week." He said, as Felix barked, wagged his tail and licked Carlisle's hands. "Amanda." He called as he came into the house.

"In here." He heard her call from the greenhouse at the back of their home. Amanda Greyson was one of LA's head Cleaners. She had moved in about six months ago, much to Felix's chagrin, but the dog had learned to accept her presence; most of the time, at least.

Carlisle came into the greenhouse, a project he had started when he had settled in LA two years before. It was both a place for him to pursue projects and a place of relaxation. One side of the greenhouse was taken up by medicinal herbs and plants (including garlic, which was occupying a great deal of his time right now), and the other was devoted to plants of beauty and grace. Roses, lilies, gardens and other species, some rare and some commonplace, were scattered around, their scents blending in a heady fragrance that would have been overwhelming to humans. Vampires did not just care for the scent of blood. They could appreciate the beauty of the natural world as well. Carlisle had a passion for botany that was second only to his passion for medicine, and Amanda of course. And who would have thought that the tough, no-nonsense Cleaner of LA would have had a delight in flowers? Amanda did though, white roses being her favorite.

That was where she was now, tending to her own bush. She was in the process of planting new seedlings when Carlisle entered the room. She looked up and smiled at him, "Carlisle, hello. You're later than usual."

"I know." said Carlisle, tiredly, "We have an emergency at the hospital."

"Not another death?"

"No, thank goodness, but it was close. A young woman went into shock, and it was twenty minutes before we could revive her. She's only twenty-five, battling leukemia. She's been show such promise over the last few weeks. Now, even though she'll pull through, there's a good chance she might be paralyzed."

"Oh, Carlisle, I'm so sorry." Amanda came over and put her arms around him. Carlisle hugged her tightly, gaining strength from her presence. He had sometimes wondered in these past few months of regaining his life back how he had ever been able to make it without Amanda. Her support kept him sane in times like this.

"Do you have any idea what's causing this?" She asked, as she faced him once more.

"No, none. The hospital is going to start an investigation soon if this epidemic of deaths and severe setbacks doesn't stop. The odd thing is that it doesn't seem to be striking any one particular ward or group of patients. Seven years old cancer patients seem to share the risks as an adult with heart disease. There is no common denominator that links them together."

"So, what are you going to do in the meantime?" Carlisle looked at her oddly. "Oh come now, my love. I know that look in your eyes; you're going to try and save the world again, aren't you?"

"Well, my little corner of it. I brought the records home from the more severe patients. I want to see if there is anything I can find on my own. Vampire eyes may see something that human eyes can't."

"Well, do you think you could spend a little time with me before you become consumed by work?" said Amanda, "A little time away from it might clear your head."

Carlisle smiled, as his arms entwined themselves around her waist. "I like the sound of that. What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, nothing to terribly special. A walk around the lake, and some more intimate forms of physical exercise. You doctors are always saying that that exercise is supposed to be healthy, aren't you?"

"Yes, so we are. And it would be very hypocritical of me to not practice me own advice. Well, I am yours for the rest of the night, my love."

"I like that sound of that." said Amanda, as the two of them walked out the door.

* * *

><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: All that has come before, has been leading to a moment when the intersections of many lives would come together. For Karlie and Josef, Mick and Beth, and Scott Kenderick, that moment is now. The hunt is about to begin.


	6. Instersections

Intersections:

Night had settled over Los Angeles. The lights of the city gleamed in the darkness, mirroring almost the stars above. The late night partiers were out and about, checking out all of the hot spots to be found in LA. However, some in the city that night were out for a very different purpose. They were out for the hunt.

Scott Kenderick and his vigilantes were pursuing their prey. There had been a core of vampire hunters that had always rallied around him during his hunts in years past. They were loyal to him almost to the point of blindness, and he in turn led them with respect and courage. Supplementing those numbers were a few guns for hire, which didn't care who or what they killed as long as the money was good.

The only one who was not present was Scott's own son, Cory. Scott still intended to instruct him in the ways of the hunt, but he also knew that his son had led a very sheltered life. He wasn't yet ready to experience the bloodshed and violence that would be necessary in his line of work. Cory had to be introduced gradually to the rules, and that couldn't be done on one of the first hunts in LA.

Scott and his men had already been out and about in the city for the past week, killing and kidnapping vampires. Those vampires which fit his profile were carted off to Scott's laboratory, an old airline hanger in the foothills of LA. It was a remote location and not one which would be easily found. It was here that Scott was experimenting on vampires in order to further refine Evampira. He was fairly certain that he was on the right track, but he knew that there would still be a lot of things that he needed to iron out. Right now, he was providing it to hospitals with the stipulation that they only give it to the sickest patients. He still had many vampires to test, which meant more vampires to kill.

The most current target they had was a student at Hearst College. They had already caught one satisfactory vampire from this location. They were hoping that a second catch would yield the same result. Just like any hunter, it was important to know the patterns of one's enemy. A few of his younger agents had been scoping out the campus of Hearst College the last few days, following around some vampires who might have potential for his research.

The one which they were aiming for tonight was a young blond cheerleader who had been practicing in the evening. With any luck, they would be able to catch her as she made her way back to her apartment. They were in a black van parked in a dark alleyway about a block from the apartment complex. When they arrived, Scott gave his final instructions to his men. "You all know the plan. Tim, Reg, you go out and cover the street, on both sides. Martin, you wait in reserve here in the truck with your men. I'll lead the charge. Remember, do not fire until all humans are out of sight, and see to it that you bring no others into your line of fire. Try to aim for the arms and legs with your fire, and wait until you have a have a clear shot before you go in with a stake. I don't have to tell you that one wrong shot and you could be dead, so don't get it wrong."

All of the men nodded. They had heard all this before, but it was always good to be reminded of it. In the business of hunting, there was no place for vain glory. Heroics could only get you and others killed. Efficiency was what all vampire hunters strove for.

So, the group split up and went to their assigned positions, and settled down to wait. Another thing that all good hunters excelled at: patience.

But, they were not alone in this night's hunt. Beth and Mick were on stake out. They were in the parking lot of Lisa's apartment. They had a clear view of the street which she would go up. However, they didn't see the van.

For the most part, things were quiet. Even despite some of the tension which was existing between them right now, it was a comfortable silence. Beth had accompanied Mick on several stake outs, and had learned that conversation wasn't always a great option. So, they waited, until they saw the people emerging from the alleyway and taking up positions on both sides of the street.

"I'm guessing that's not normal." Said Mick, "And I don't like what I'm seeing. Look at those weapons that they're carrying. They're far to advanced for simple side arms."

"I'm imagining that if you're hunting vampires you'll want something that can take them out fast." said Beth.

"They're also setting up a formation." Said Mick. He cast a glance at Beth. "I would ask you to stay here, but I need more than one set of eyes on this. But this is dangerous. Hunters rarely care if humans are caught in the cross fire. Please promise me that if violence breaks out, you'll try and stay out of it."

Beth did understand the logic behind this. After all, Mick was a stronger and more seasoned fighter than her. It only made sense that he should get physical first. "I will, but only if you don't need my help. And let's face it; you always do at some point."

Mick couldn't help but smile for a moment. "I'm not going to dispute that. Just stay behind me and keep quiet."

Beth didn't have to be told twice. They got out of the car quietly and snuck up the street, being careful not to make a sound or be seen. Mick smelled the air, and sensed no less than ten men waiting in formation style for their intended victim. Mick didn't know who they might be targeting, but they had to have someone in mind to be this well prepared.

"Okay, Beth, listen to me. I'm going to try and sneak across the street. There are only two of them in that alley over there, so I might be able to take them out without attracting any attention."

"All right, I'll try to sneak around back and get a few pictures of the car."

Mick didn't really want her to do that thing, but in the grand scheme of things, it was probably the safest thing she could do, and besides, it would have been useless to argue. "All right, just be careful." He handed her his gun, "Here, take this. You'll want some protection."

The two split up. Leaving the main road, they were soon out of sight from the hunters. Mick was sneaking down the alley, and he was just about to try and make a move on one of the hunters, when he froze in shock. There was a vampire coming up the street, and the smell came faintly upon the breeze. It was Lisa, Lisa was the vampire that they were hunting.

In the few moments that Mick made this discovery, and any other move he might have made in the seconds after would have been useless, for the trap had sprung.

Vampire hunters were trained to move swiftly and silently. They could be almost as dangerous as vampires and were a match for them, especially when they caught their prey by surprise.

Lisa Marshall never had a chance. The attackers in the street seemed to descend upon her at exactly the same time and from every direction. Lisa couldn't focus on any one target to center her attack on. She was cornered, and though she was able to get in a few blows, it was useless.

The stake was in Lisa's heart within ten seconds. The hunters hadn't even needed to fire their guns. Mick had never seen hunters in action, but seeing them like this first hand, made him see that all of the stories he had ever heard of them were true. The hunters seemed almost impossibly fast. Their coordination as a group seemed completely instinctual, as if they had been doing this sort of things their entire lives.

What came next though, proved to be almost worse. The man that Mick assumed to be the leader of the group came forward and said, "Well done, men. That couldn't have gone better. Let me see the blood sample."

One of the group stepped forward and brought out a large syringe, which he drove into Lisa's arm. He withdrew a sample of her blood, and inserted the sample into a computer instrument, and waited for a few seconds. "Blood type B+. Age, I'm guessing to age to be between 150 to 200 years old."

It only took a second for the leader to make his choice. 'There seems to be an abundance of those types in these parts. I already have four that fir this profile. I have no use for this one. Dispose of her."

Mick watched in horror as one of the hunters withdrew a large knife and beheaded Lisa without so much as a pause. The blood spurted upwards, spraying the assembled hunters in a curtain of red. The hunters didn't so much as shudder.

The hunt for that night was over. The leader was busy shouting orders to his men, telling them to bring the black van out from the alley. The hunters gathered up the body and placed it into the van. They then got into the vehicle themselves, and drove off into the night. The whole thing had taken less than thirty minutes, and no one was any the wiser of what had taken place.

Only when they were gone did Mick come from his hiding place. He met Beth in the middle of the street. Her eyes were wide with shock, and the fact that she had just witnessed a butchering could very well be accounted for that.

"Beth, are you all right? Did they see you?"

"No, they didn't. I got pictures of the van and the license plate number. But, what they did to Lisa…" She trailed off, her voice catching. "She didn't do anything to them. How could they just murder her like that?"

"They're hunters, Beth. It's what they do. Come on, we need to get to Josef. He needs to know that hunters are on the loose here in the city."

* * *

><p>Along the water front of LA, the moon was riding in a dark sky sprayed with thousands of stars, and the lights from the city towers reflected in the waters. It was a romantic light, and perfect for the yacht outing that Josef and Karlie had planned.<p>

Josef's yacht was fitted out with all the modern conveniences, while being a classic, elegant boat at the same time. Boating had been something of a closet passion for Josef, especially in the last twenty years. It was a pro of being immortal that new hobbies or interests could be reborn over time. Josef was looking to expand his collection, and even looking at designing a few himself.

They had spent a great sail that evening, laughing, talking and catching up on all that they had missed over the past week. There was one subject in particular which they were becoming a little concerned about, in a way that they hadn't been in a long time.

"Beth came to see me a few days ago. We went out to lunch."

"Let me guess, she wanted to vent."

"Yes, I'm afraid she did. I don't know which is worse, that she and Mick keep avoiding the subject or that they could be arguing violently about it if they did."

Josef shook his head. "I've been getting the same thing with Mick. Neither of them seems to want to bring it up with the one person who really matters."

"Beth seems to think that talking about it anymore with Mick will only make him even more upset. She seems to think they have talked about it enough, and that it's useless to speak of it more. It will only serve to alienate him."

"That's the kind of thinking that can destroy vampire-human relationships." Said Josef, "Mick is balking. I think that he wants to turn Beth, and I shudder to think what might happen if he loses her. But Beth isn't going to wait forever. He's going to have to make a choice soon."

"We shouldn't be too hard on Mick, however. His memories of Coraline's turning him are still wounds that I fear he will always carry with him, even if he had moved beyond her. His greatest fear in turning her, I think, is that he would turn out to be exactly like Coraline."

Josef nodded. "Yes, I suppose. I just hope that he makes the right choice. Mick has been through to much. He needs a little bit of happiness."

Karlie smiled, and leaned up against him. "I might accuse you of being romantic, if I didn't know you beater."

Josef returned the smile and kissed the top of her head. "It's good thing that you know me so well. I would hate for you to get ideas."

They headed back to the dock. They had been having such a lovely time that neither of them noticed the unmarked black car which was parked along the bay, nor the woman who was inside. She was a crack shot, a specialty amongst Kenderick's regular followers. She was on a special mission from her boss, not to kill Josef and Karlie Koston, merely to get their attention.

As the yacht pulled up to the dock, and Josef was just about to step onto the dock, the silence of the night was shattered by multiple gun shots that peppered the yacht. "Karlie, get down!" shouted Josef, as he hit the dock side himself.

More rounds followed, all of them coming too close for comfort. They lasted for two minutes though it felt more like two hours. When they stopped, an eerie silence fell over the dock, broken only by the far distant sound of a car being driven away from the dock side very fast.

Josef immediately got to his feet and hurried over to Karlie. "Karlie, sweetheart, are you all right?"

"Yes, a little shaken, but fine. Josef, what was that?"

"I don't know, Karlie, but I intend to find out. Stay here; make sure that the freshies below are safe."

Karlie nodded numbly and hurried down the stairs. Josef jumped from the yacht to the dock, and looked around for his security guard. To his horror, he found him, or what was left of him after decapitation at the end of the dock.

Josef inhaled the scents which were surrounding the area. He saw the human who had come up completely unawares, a difficult thing to do, because Josef's security was top notch. The only human who could have gotten this close without them knowing it was a hunter.

Josef's heart sank and his blood ran cold. Hunters, in his city, this couldn't end well.

In the space of a single night, the peaceful life of LA's vampire inhabitants had been shattered. And the intersections of the lives of Mick and Beth, Josef and Karlie, and a vampire hunter named Scott Kenderick, upon this night, would change the futures of them all, forever.

* * *

><p>Well, the hunters have struck, and now the action really starts to pick up. Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: The alarm begins to go up amongst the vampires of Los Angeles. This hunter has a familiar face, however, and what he could be doing with his mysterious style of hunting is open to scrutiny. But, it turns out that Karlie and Josef know more than perhaps they are telling, and keeping that secret could very well lead to troubel later on.


	7. Alarm

Alarm:

Vampire hunters in any city could be a potentially big problem, not to mention extremely dangerous. It was not so much the danger of the secret of the vampires being revealed. Hunters did not want that secret to become public anymore than the vampires themselves.

However, when hunters came to a city, the undead inhabitants knew that there would be an unseen enemy who was looking to take them down, and unless they saw them coming they might very well be defenseless. During such times, coded messages were sent to all vampires in a city, telling them to stay inside if at all possible and be on the lookout for any strange happenings.

Beyond that, there was little else that Josef could do until he had more solid evidence. That evidence came a lot sooner than he was expecting. As dawn was breaking over LA's skyline the night he and Karlie were attacked, Mick and Beth came to the mansion with disturbing news of their own. The two came into the living room, only to find Josef talking with Amanda Grayson on his cell phone, and Karlie sitting on one of the couches, looking on with a worried expression.

"I don't care what strings you to pull, Amanda, but I need this done… Amanda, this is far more serious than just cleaning up a few bodies. It this gets out of hand, we'll all be in trouble, and it won't be because someone left a drained corpse lying around… That doesn't sound like me? Well, Amanda, this is a special case. The normal rules simply don't apply. I need you to put that special task force together by tomorrow night, no later what. I'm counting on you, Amanda, don't let me down." He abruptly hung up and then turned to face Mick and Beth. "Morning, you two. I'm afraid that I can't call it good."

"Care to explain why you were chewing Amanda out?" asked Mick, "You know you'll have to answer to Carlisle for that."

"I'll bear it. In a time like this, I can't afford to be my usual charming self."

"Josef, what's happened?" asked Beth, seeing that the two of them were on edge.

"Someone tried to take a shot out of me and Karlie about six hours ago, that's what happened" said Josef, his protective instincts heightened as he remembered the danger that Karlie had had come into contact with.

"Someone tried to kill the two of you?" said Beth, "Are you all right?"

"We're fine, Beth. So are the two freshies who accompanied us." Said Karlie, "And to be quite honest, I don't think that they were intending to kills us, merely getting our attention."

Mick looked worried. "I take it that you don't have good news for us." Said Josef.

"Beth and I were witnesses to a hunter attack on a vampire names Lisa Marshall a few hours ago." said Mick, "Their methods were highly advanced, so we're obviously not dealing with a bunch of amateurs."

Josef sighed deeply, the troubled look on his face increasing. He sat down heavily beside Karlie, who reached out to take one of his hands. "Then it's confirmed. I had my suspicions, but I suppose your witness would authenticate it. What did you see, Mick? I want to know everything."

Mick and Beth told them everything that they had witnessed. "The only thing I don't get is why the hunters waited. Why would they want blood samples and then kill the vamp anyway? That's not the normal behavior of hunters, is it?" Mick asked

"No, at least not that I've ever heard." Said Josef, "What about the leader? He's the one we need to focus on."

"I managed to get a few pictures of him." said Beth, handing Karlie and Josef her camera.

The two vampires looked at the pictures, and at almost the same moment, their eyes widened with what could only be described as horrified recognition. "Beth, you're absolutely sure that this is who you saw?" asked Josef.

"Yeah, I'm positive. He's the one who seemed to be in charge of the whole operation."

"He also seemed to be the one who had the final in whether or not a vampire was killed or not." Said Mick.

Josef's demeanor, which had been grim before, went to go completely dark. He covered his face with his hands, as if all the weight of his four hundred years were suddenly pressing down on him. "Scott Kenderick." The name was spoken as though it were that of Josef's most deadly enemy.

"Scott Kenderick?" said Mick, who didn't recognize the name. "You know him?"

"Scott Kenderick is one of the most dangerous vampire hunters in the United States." Said Karlie, "He's been hunting for years, and no one has ever been able to catch him. He's that good. And he always leaves a trail of pain and destruction in his wake."

"It sounds like you're had a lot of experience with him." observed Mick.

"Karlie and I were in Chicago thirty years ago, when he and his father Bernard went through that city on a killing spree. It was that event which brought us to LA." Said Josef.

"So, you had a few run-ins?" asked Mick.

Karlie and Josef looked at each other, and an expression that Mick really couldn't identify passed between them for a split second. He wasn't able to see what it might mean, for it was gone in an instant. Sometimes, the bond between Josef and Karlie meant that they could be so in tune with each other, they could communicate in ways that went beyond even the skill of an observant vampire could understand.

"We did encounter him, and Scott." Said Josef, slowly, almost as if he were choosing his words carefully. "It's all a little bit of a blur, I'm afraid. The two of them caught up with us unawares. We might have been killed if we had tried to stay."

Beth found herself shuddering. She knew that both Josef and Karlie were formidable opponents, Josef by skill of his age, and Karlie because she was an expert in hand to hand combat. If they had run from two hunters all those years ago because there was no other way to survive, then vampire hunters were a very serious threat, indeed.

"So, if Scott Kenderick has been doing this his whole life, then he must have some favored method of killing. If we could figure out a pattern, we might be able to trap him."

"Mick, you have no idea what you're dealing with. It's not that easy" Said Josef, "There's a reason why Kenderick is so good. He has no pattern. He devises a new one each city he goes to. He's incredibly smart, and his men follow him with their very lives. He is not going to be easy to defeat."

"But, not impossible?" said Mick. "There has to be a way."

"I think I recognize that face." Said Beth, as she looked at the pictures again and in better light. "I've seen him in the pictures for my research on that Evampira story. But in all the sources I've read, his name is Kenneth Severn."

"That's one of his many aliases," said Josef, "He is a doctor in the human world; it's a cover for his real calling. He sometimes has to keep below the radar for long periods of time. He's made a lot of enemies in the community, but every so often, he likes to come out into the spotlight. I think it's so the tribes will know that he's still around and about."

"So he claims to renew life while at the same time destroying it." said Mick, "Ironic, isn't it?"

"I could try digging a little deeper into Kenderick's back story," said Beth, "It might help us find out why he chose this city where the drug is being tested to hunt. It might not be much of a start, but it could help us later on."

Josef nodded, still looking tired. "You might also want to get in touch with Carlisle; I think that I might have heard him talking about this Evampira."

A few more minutes of talking and comparing notes, and resolving to meet again to begin discussing strategy followed. For right now, there was little else that they could do beyond this. They were all exhausted from the dangers they had passed that night, and they needed clear heads if they were to meet this threat.

But it was only after Mick and Beth left that Karlie and Josef could speak of the true danger of their situation. For unlike Mick and Beth, they did not have to wonder why Kenderick had chosen LA as his hunting ground; they already knew. "He finally found us." Said Karlie, after a moment.

"My agents have been keeping tabs on him for the past three decades. I should have known that he was planning something when he disappeared off the radar a few months ago."

"Josef, don't you think we ought to tell Beth and Mick the whole truth?"

"We've told them all they need to know." said Josef, "If we tell them anymore, it could bring them into the line of fire. We can't risk that."

Karlie sighed deeply, "If Kenderick is back, he won't stay hidden for long. We know what he wants."

"Yes, us, dead. He would only think it fitting punishment. For him, this hunt is personal. Kenderick wants to be found, and sooner or later, he will be."

* * *

><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Carlisle and Beth research the drug Evampira, and have a little bit of a heart to heart in the process. However, things only become more serious when it becomes evident that the medicine which is meant to save, is really only a posion.


	8. Blood Posion

For all of you who wondered whatever happened to that sample of Black Crystal that Beth hid away during the series, well, here is the answer.

Blood Poison:

Over the next couple of days, it became apparent that something in LA was very wrong. Reports began to come in of vampires who had gone missing, but no one could find any sign of the killers. The Cleaners were patrolling the city and Josef was barely sleeping so that he could be on top of things as much as possible. Josef may have struck some as being very happy go lucky, and not quite serious about his role as Elder. However, that would have been a grave mistake for anyone to make. Josef took his duties extremely seriously, and in such a situation as this, he could even take his sense of responsibility to near obsessive levels. At this time, it was only thanks to Karlie's watchful eye, insisting that he feed and sleep, that Josef didn't work himself into a terrible exhaustion.

But it would soon become evident the hunter s were only part of the danger that the vampires would have to face, when Beth and Carlisle made the beginning of a startling discovery about Evampira.

Carlisle had leapt at the chance to have someone to bounce ideas off of, since he wasn't getting anywhere on his own. He showed up at the apartment around 7:00. Mick was already going to Josef's, to see if there had been any information. Beth was happy to see him. Ever since Carlisle had taken up permanent residence in Los Angeles, he and Beth had become very good friends. This was somewhat surprising considering his rather unique relatives, two of whom had tried at various time hurt or kill her.

But Carlisle was so unlike Coraline or his half mad brother Henri, not to mention that he had saved her life. It was only natural that a friendship should have ground between them.

"So, what do you know about this Kenderick character?" asked Carlisle, as they sat down to work.

"I don't have much." said Beth, "Now that I know that he is operating under a different identity, I tried to go a bit deeper. I tried to find something on his real name, along with the alias that he is operating under, Kenneth Severn. From what I could gather, this guy, no matter who he is, is very secretive. He tends to keep out of the public eye, but some of his procedures have been extremely controversial. Just a few years ago, he was at the forefront of a new drug that might have done away with dialysis for kidney transplant patients, but it was discontinued because there wasn't enough research. There have been a few other drugs that have been applauded by the medical community, which had made him a figure almost as esteemed as he is vilified. I don't know which the right picture is."

"In such a case as this, it is probably the picture in between which is the right one. I have heard of Kenneth Severn, though I have never met him. He has a reputation for cutting edge and aggressive research techniques. He gets results, but very rarely do they come easily or without a price. It is his most recent drug which I'm questioning."

"Evampira, I've heard all about it. It's a miracle drug, apparently."

"A miracle it might be in some cases. It is difficult to deny the results in those patents where it actually works. However, for most others, it's turning out to be a death sentence."

"Yes, I know that there have been some deaths from the drug."

"Not just deaths, deaths that are completely random and have no connection. Every disease, every age range, every possible symptom, there has been a death in nearly all of them. And the pattern is being repeated in every other hospital where Evampira is being tested."

"Isn't anyone asking questions about that?"

"Yes, there are calls to have the drug recalled and tested more thoroughly, but those of it's more vocal supporters want it to continue, saying that the drawbacks are worth it. However, a few of the doctors at UCLA are trying to get our hands on a sample, and I think that we might get permission in the next few days. However, I have been doing a little bit of research on my own. I have been going back over the anything in past medical records in this city to see if any of the same symptoms displayed by victims have been shared by others in the past."

"And what did you find?"

"The only reference I could find that remotely resembled the symptoms was a police case which happened about four years ago. I came across reports of three deaths, and several other subsequent complications from a drug called Black Crystal."

Beth stared at him in shock. "Black Crystal? Are you certain?"

"Quite positive. Black Crystal was a drug that was popular about 4 years ago. But, it disappeared off the market after only a few months. There have been no more recorded cases of it, something that I found quite surprising. A drug as popular as that, I would have expected there to be quite a few buyers for it to remain available in the underground clubs. I couldn't even find a place where I could get my hands on a sample. It might prove invaluable for a comparison with Evampira." Carlisle noticed that Beth had become more than a little troubled. "Beth, are you all right?"

"Just a minute, Carlisle. I'll be right back." She hurried up the steps and came back a few minutes later, carrying a small black vial on a faded black cord. "Here, this might help you."

Carlisle took the vial and said, "What is this?"

Beth looked down and fidgeted. "It's, uh, Black Crystal. Smell it, I think you might find it interesting."

Carlisle screwed off the top of the vial and smelled the contents. He blanched, for the smell, though slightly stale, was chillingly familiar nonetheless. "Vampire blood." He said, "And traces of silver. How was this drug even manufactured?"

"About four years ago, there was trouble here in LA. Vampires were disappearing, but not from hunters. Humans were also dying, from overdoses of drugs. It was ultimately caused by a vampire named Delores Whittaker." A dark look flashed across Carlisle's face. "You knew her?"

"We ran into each other a few times over the centuries. I never liked her."

"Well, you had good taste. Lola was the one who was behind it all. She was killing vampires, draining their blood and then giving it to humans as a recreational drug."

Carlisle looked utterly appalled, and not necessarily just for the vampires, but for the consequences for the humans as well. "And you're telling me there were only three deaths from this drug? Suddenly something is starting to make sense and I don't like it."

"What?"

"I don't want to say until I get my hands on Evampira. Where did you even get this sample?"

Beth gulped, embarrassment coloring her features. "I took a dose of it. Lola gave me a sample and I took some later on. It made me feel so indestructible, so sexy and powerful. It was the ultimate high. I've never felt like that before or since. And I also went to Mick. I tried to seduce him. Well, you can imagine how that went."

Carlisle smiled. "I can actually. He's a real gentleman." He sobered and continued. "But tell me, did you take any more it?"

"No, I never touched it again. But I felt really sick for about a week afterward with a really bad headache and a stomachache. It was the worst handover I ever had."

"You should be very grateful that was all that you got from it." said Carlisle, almost gravely.

"I also couldn't stand to do it to Mick. It wouldn't have been right, especially considering the background of the drug."

"If you knew that it would be objectionable to him, why did you keep it?"

Beth was silent for a moment, before she finally admitted. "I know it sounds stupid, but that night, I remember it so vividly. It was really the first time when I felt that Mick and I were really equal. I know that it was only because of the drug, and I don't doubt that he loves me, but I've always had this nagging suspicion, that as long as I'm a human and he's a vampire, there will always be some sort of inequality between us. I really have no other way to be close to him other than this."

Carlisle could understand, in part, what Beth was speaking of. He knew the difficulties that surrounded vampire/human relationships. He was quite frankly surprised sometimes that Beth had held out this long. "Beth, I did not come here to counsel you on your relationship with Mick. Even if I were to do so, I think that you would ignore it. However, only this I will say. I believe that part of the reason Mick is so determined not to turn you is for much the same reason that you keep this drug. Mick fears that if he turns you, he will lose the last part of himself that remembers being human. He doesn't ever want to forget that feeling. I'm not saying that would make his delay right, but maybe it would help you to understand a bit better why he is doing it."

Beth had never really thought of the situation from that angle before. It made her begin to wonder if she should try to see this more from Mick's point of view. Perhaps that would help to make the discussions between them easier. She leaned forward and hugged Carlisle. He seemed a little surprised by the gesture, but returned it after a few seconds. Beth said, "Thank you. I think I needed that."

Carlisle smiled. "Always happy to give a little medicine for the heart, no charge."

* * *

><p>All in all, the initial collaboration proved quite useful to Carlisle. It gave him a baseline to work from that he hadn't before. In fact, the story Beth had told him about the Black Crystal had planted a suspicion in his mind, and one which made him fear that the whole hunter situation was about to grow darker.<p>

He was finally able to obtain a sample of the Evampira drug in the next few days, and began to compare it with Black Crystal. But it only took a few hours for his worse fears to be confirmed. He looked at the two samples under the microscope, comparing their genetic structures side by side. "Oh my God." He breathed in horror, as he saw the similarities.

There was only one substance on Earth with a pattern like the one which he was seeing. He knew why people were dying now. He knew why Scott Kenderick was out for the blood of vampires, literally and figuratively. Once, vampires had been the high. Now, they were the cure. However, the high and the cure ultimately ended in one place: the grave.

* * *

><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: We learn the true nature of Evampira, and why Kenderick is so eager to hunt vampires. However, with the revelation of Kenderick's weakness, a plan begins to take shape about how to stop him.


	9. A Plan

This is kind of a filler chapter to seague into the next part of the story. So, it's a little short, but I still hope that it's worth the reading. Enjoy!

A Plan

The next day, Carlisle wasted no time in revealing what he had learned about Evampira to Josef, and the rest. Amanda also went with him, as she needed to be aware of all the details. Her position as Head Cleaner in Los Angeles dictated that.

Josef, Karlie, Beth and Mick were at the mansion waiting for them. "Carlisle, I take it by your message that your news isn't good." Said Josef.

"I'm afraid that's true." said Carlisle, "In fact, it could be very dire if half of my fears prove correct."

"What have you found?"

"Scott Kenderick is using the blood of vampires as the root of his medical experiments."

They had not been expecting such a pronouncement, and for a moment, they were too shocked to speak. "Did you say vampire blood?" said Josef.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I ran the tests over three times, and each time, the answer came out the same. I wish I wasn't right, believe me."

"This actually fits in with what I heard him say." Said Mick, "He said that they should kill Lisa because he already enough samples of her blood type and age. He didn't have any use for her."

"But what use could he have for vampire blood?" asked Karlie, "It's not as though it would be able to get past the authorities for long. Wouldn't someone start to ask when all these cures are taking place?"

"There will be no miracle cures." Said Carlisle, with grim certainty. "Those who take Evampira will either die or will end up having too many side effects from the drug that will prevent them from ever leading a normal life."

"That's a harsh judgment." Said Josef, "And spoken quite definitely. What are you talking about?"

"It has to do with the way that vampire blood reacts with that of humans. Are any of you aware of the plant belladonna?"

"It's a poison, isn't it?" said Beth, "But, I also remember that it can sometimes be used like a stimulant in extreme cases."

"Quite right, Beth. Belladonna only works as a stimulant under very special changes, specifically near death cases. Vampire blood is the same way. You see, humans, all humans, have a naturally severe allergic reaction to vampire blood."

The rest of them had been informed of the connection that Carlisle and Beth had made regarding Black Crystal and Evampira. Carlisle hadn't told them where he had gotten the sample of Black Crystal, though. The similarities immediately spoke to Mick's memory. "So, a few years ago," said Mick, "all those people who died from the drug."

Carlisle nodded. "It was not simply because of the silver that those humans died. It was because they had taken a heavy dose of vampire blood either at once or multiple times. The rest have had long-term affects according to medical records. Those who are taking the drug Evampira are also suffering from those same symptoms. That's why patients are dying with different sickness."

"But, how can that be?" said Karlie, "Vampire blood is what saves humans when we're dying. Without the blood we get from our sires, we would die during the change."

"And it's only because humans are near death that the vampire blood can work at all." said Carlisle, "Vampire blood can only affect humans positively when they are near death with enough of their blood drained. If that doesn't happen, the blood of a vampire will only be treated by the body as an invading infection. The human will eventually die from exhaustion in fighting it."

"That's a bright picture." Said Josef, "But it makes sense. It would explain why some turnings are not successful."

"It gets worse, I'm afraid. In order to refine Evampira, as Scott Kenderick no doubt intends to do, I suspect that he would need a steady supply of blood. Evampira is meeting with glowing reviews from more than one corner. It may only be a few months from full approval. If that happens, the killing won't stop. More humans and vampires will die."

The situation, in only a few seconds, had become even more serious. Most often, when a hunter threat came to a city, it was only the lives of the vampires who were at risk. Now, the lives of vampires and humans were on the line.

"Why would a man like Kenderick want to manufacture a drug that would kill humans?" said Josef, "That's not his style."

"Really?" said Amanda, "I've been chasing murder reports all over the city, most of them with clear signs of ruthlessness. This sounds exactly like his style."

"For any other hunter, maybe. But Kenderick prides himself n not inflicting human deaths during his hunts." Said Karlie, "He never killed a human. That's why he's never brought to trial for murder."

"I doubt that Kenderick is aware of the full damage that he's causing." Said Carlisle, "Vampire blood is a dangerous substance, but its affects can, at first, look very promising. Kenderick is not the first to try experimenting with it in order to save human lives. And I must admit, the first trials of Evampira are promising enough that further tests have been called for at the hospital. The results, I fear, would be disastrous."

"There's only one thing to do, then." Said Mick, "Stop Evampira. If we remove one half of Kenderick's powerbase, it might push him enough to make a mistake."

"That might be difficult." Said Carlisle, "Evampira, and consequently, Kenderick have a lot of support in the medical community."

"Not to mention that any attempt at a removal could expose our secret." Said Josef, "We don't want Evampira looked at too closely or it could be connected with vampire blood."

"Maybe we don't have to stop it through conventional means." Said Beth, "What if Kenderick only thought that there was someone on his trail?"

"What are you suggesting, Beth?" asked Karlie.

"Josef could have one of his lawyers, one who already knows the secret about vampires, begin to put together a preliminary investigation based on the information that Carlisle had found. Whoever that was would be able to know which parts to enhance and which to leave out. If Kenderick is as well connected in the medical world as you say he is, Carlisle, surely one of his supports would catch wind of it. That might force him to make a move."

"You know that might actually work." Said Mick, with a proud smile at Beth.

"I think Beth might give a run for your money at thinking up sneaky private investigations plans." Said Josef, "It's a place to start. The first thing that we need to know is where Kenderick's hideout is. This might give us the in for that."

"You might want to put Simone on this case." said Karlie, "But of all your lawyers, she's the best suited for this job."

"I'll tell her to get right on it in the morning." Said Josef.

It was the beginnings of a plan, and they all began to hope that they, instead of being passive victims, could finally start fighting back.

* * *

><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: In a time of danger and tension, any good news is always welcome, espcially when it comes as something of a surprise to everyone involved.


	10. Good News

Good News:

Simone Demont had not exactly been keen on the assignment that Josef had given her that morning. He had told her that he needed her to begin putting together a preliminary case against the drug known as Evampira. Simone had had a dozen different things to do that morning, all of them cases that she considered to be much more important. She had told him all this point blank. She was pretty much one of the few who could speak to him like that and get away with it.

Josef, to his credit, treated her rather gently. He knew that Simone was still acting rather emotionally, though he still really didn't know why. He calmly explained that there was some threat to the vampire community posed by Evampira, and he needed someone who wouldn't arouse suspicion, but who still knew how to make something look properly official.

Simone finally conceded. She was no longer Josef's freshie, but she had risen to the rank of his most trusted human confidant. That was no small feat. She really liked Josef; he was a bit like the big brother that she never had, and if not for him, she would probably never have met Travis. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him, nor to any of the other vampires that she knew. If there was anything she could do to help, she would do it to the best of her ability.

Her first stop was UCLA hospital. When she arrived, she was shown into Carlisle's office, where he greeted her with a warm smile. "Simone, how lovely to see you again."

"It's good to see you, Carlisle. I know it's been awhile."

Carlisle was shaking hands with her, and Simone thought for a moment that he paused, and looked at her oddly. He titled his head, as if he were listening for something, and she even thought that she heard him inhale. "Is something wrong?" She asked, puzzled.

"What? No, of course not." Said Carlisle, "Sit down, please. Let's get right down to business."

"Yes, I would appreciate that. Josef made this sound incredibly serious, something to do with hunters?"

"Yes," said Carlisle, "Reports have been coming in for the past few days that several members of the community have vanished. Only the hunter doesn't seem to be killing indiscriminately, he is looking for a specific kind of vampire."

"For what purpose?"

"That leads back to Evampira. You are aware of it, I'm sure?"

"Yes, there have been a flood of requests from many of Josef's companies, requesting that they can start adding it to their insurance policies. Josef told me to hold off on a definite answer until more concrete information is available."

"And that concrete information will show that Evampira is not fit for human consumption." Said Carlisle, fiercely. He spoke in a harsher tone than he had meant to, and when he saw Simone's eyes flash with concern, he continued in a calmer manner. "Forgive me; I just get so angry whenever I hear of this. You see, the base ingredient of Evampira is vampire blood." Simone's mouth dropped open in horror. "And people who are taking it are dying. The production of Evampira needs to stop. That's the only way all this can end."

Simone was lost for words for a moment. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea that it was as serious as this. Whatever I do to help I will gladly do."

Carlisle smiled, pleased that Simone was so loyal to Josef. "Josef has assigned you to put together a case against Evampira. He's hoping that a little bit of pressure on the hunter behind the medicine might cause him to make a mistake."

"Who is he?"

"His professional name is Kenneth Severn. Josef doesn't want me to tell you who he really is. He doesn't want to put you in any danger."

Simone nodded. She had grown to understand that there were some things which the vampires couldn't tell to humans, no matter how much they trusted them. "Yes, all right. What can you tell me?"

Carlisle shared the information he had had gathered from his tests. He also directed her to other doctors and professionals who shared his doubts about the medicine. Once all that was done, Simone thought that the visit was over, but Carlisle stopped her from going. "If you don't mind, Simone, I would like to ask you something."

"Of course, what about?"

"Tell me, have you been experiencing anything odd of late, trouble sleeping, morning sickness irritability?"

Simone blushed. "Well, yes. Is it that obvious, or has Josef been talking about me?'

"Oh, don't worry, Josef didn't tell me anything. I picked it up myself."

"What?"

"And your cycle, has it been late?"

"I've been so busy lately, I have to admit that I've hardly noticed, but now that you mention it…" Simone's voice trailed off, and her eyes widened as all the pieces finally began to fit it together. "Oh my God, oh my God, I'm not… I can't be… Carlisle, am I?"

Carlisle was smiling at Simone's tongue-tied shock, so different from the normally collected, professional image she portrayed to the world. "Well, there is one way to find out for certain." He picked up his phone and dialed one of the nurses on duty, saying that he needed to make use of a specific hospital room for an hour or so. He then looked at Simone. "Shall we?"

Carlisle led Simone through the hallways into another part of the hospital. He could sense that she had suddenly become very jittery, not to mention excited. He was certain that her excitement and his suspicions would be justified, if those little echoes of heartbeats he had been hearing were any indication.

They entered a hospital room, where there was a machine even Simone, with her limited medical knowledge could recognize. "If you would just sit down on the bed." Said Carlisle. "I assume you know how this goes?"

"Yeah, you smear that jelly stuff on my stomach and move the camera around to see if there's anything there?"

"Very good for a first timer." Said Carlisle, as Simone lay down on the bed.

A few minutes later, Carlisle and Simone were staring intently at the screen as he moved the device over her uterus. Simone was holding her breath in anticipation.

Finally, after several long moments, Carlisle suddenly stopped moving the camera. "There might be something." He said and zoomed the camera in a little more. He peered at the screen and smiled, "Ah, yes, there he is." He pointed to a specific point on the screen. "I believe that's your baby."

Simone never had been one to be overcome by sentiment. In fact, she had not even thought of becoming a mother, but when she saw the image on the screen of her unborn child's developing arms, legs and head, she felt a love swell in her heart that she had never before felt the likes of. A smile appeared on her face, and she said, "Oh my gosh, I never thought that I would feel like this."

Carlisle smiled at the rapturous expression on Simone's face. This was one of the reasons why he loved being a doctor. Seeing first hand the joy that things like this could bring to people, especially when it came to children. Those meant even more to him, as vampires were unable to bear children (at the present time, anyway, Carlisle hoped that someone might be able to change that). "Well, forgive me for being inquisitive, but weren't you and Travis trying to get pregnant?"

"We haven't actually ever talked about it. But I don't think he'll have any objection. I find that I certainly don't." She looked at the image for a few more minutes and then looked at Carlisle. "Did you know I was pregnant when I cam into your office today?"

"I had my suspicions. I smelled the hormones that were being released in your bloodstream. And of course, I could hear the heartbeats echoing your own. The ultrasound merely confirmed it."

"Well, if you could guess, why couldn't Josef tell? I mean, he sees me every day."

"That might be why he couldn't sense it. Sometimes, being really used to a human's psychology means that a vampire doesn't always notice subtle changes. And besides, Josef isn't trained in medical matters. No doubt, though, he will find this wonderful news."

"Yes, I'm certain he will. And Travis, I can't wait to tell him…" Suddenly she remembered something that Carlisle had said a few seconds before. "Wait, you said heartbeats?"

Carlisle's smile grew wider. "Yes. As in multiple heartbeats, and maybe if we look a little closer." Carlisle moved the camera a little more around her belly. "Ah, just as I suspected, unless your baby has two heads, you're probably carrying twins."

Simone could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Twins? I'm carrying twins?" She smiled and shook her head. "I think my life is about to get even more crazy."

"No doubt, but then again, considering the way things are going in LA, any news like this is quite welcome. Simone, let me be the first to congratulate you."

* * *

><p>Please read and review. Just so you know, the updates over the next couple of weeks might not be as regular. It's the last few weeks of college and so my life will be going from busy to crazy very fast. That's why this is sort of a good pausing point, as it does not give away too much but it is not a cliff hanger. Anyway, I will try to update when I can, otherwise, please be patient with me.<p>

Next chapter: We catch up with the hunters. Cory is starting to have doubts about what his father does, but he is still trying to see things his way. And when Scott decides that it's finally time to put the next part of his plan for revenge into action, innocent humans will begin to pay the price.


	11. The Life of a Hunter

I'm back! My wild weekend is over, and I have only a few finals to get through before Summer, when I might have a bit more time to post things. Anyway, here is a new chapter, where we take a break from the vampires to take a look into the life of a hunter. Enjoy!

The Life of a Hunter:

Cory Reeves hadn't known what to expect when his father had unexpectedly announced that they were going to LA. During the last few months, his father's e-mails and phone messages had told him that as soon as he turned eighteen and was free to make his own decisions, he would be taking him on an adventure that would forever change his life. Cory had actually been excited about it. The way his father had described it, his life was hard, but filled with excitement. Cory had thought that his father worked to save the world.

However, the reality had caught him completely off-guard. Scott had told him that he was a vampire hunter. Cory had hardly been able to believe it at first. Surely vampires were not real, they were just stories. But Scott had presented him with proofs and circumstances that were too real to be dismissed. What was more, his father had never lied to him.

Cory may have believed what his father told him a lot faster than a lot of people would. But his confusion only mounted the more he learned about the expected lifestyle of a hunter. He could maybe have accepted what his father did, maybe even supported it. After all, all the stories did say that vampires were heartless monsters. So perhaps there would be a good reason for keeping the population under control. But, it turned out that Scott was doing a whole lot more than that.

When Cory had first seen his father's laboratory space, he had needed to forcibly remind himself not to gag at the sight of at least twenty vampires in a single room, all of them hooked to IV catheter's that were draining them of their blood, their hearts pierced by wooden stakes. "Dad, what is this?"

Scott, unlike Cory was totally unaffected by the sight in front of him. In fact, Cory could have sworn that his father looked proud. "This, Cory, is my legacy. And one day, very soon, it will be yours."

Cory looked at his father, confused. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I don't see what this has to do with killing vampires."

"I'll show you, Cory." The two of them walked over to a vampire who had black hair, caramel skin and appeared to be in her early twenties. Cory stopped dead in his tracks, when he saw that her eyes were still open, and a spark of life force still remained.

"Uh, are they still alive?"

"Yes, Cory, or at least as close to life as they ever can be. But don't worry. The stake keeps them neutralized, and even if they were to get loose from that, they are too weak from blood loss to be any sort of threat."

"Blood loss?"

"Yes, Cory. These vampires are merely at the forefront of what could be one of the greatest medical breakthroughs ever discovered. You know the drug that I told you about, Evampira."

"Yeah."

"Well, it's been in the workings for years, and its key ingredient is vampire blood."

Cory looked a little uneasy. "You mean, you're draining their blood? If that why all these vampires are hooked up to IV's?"

"That's right, son. It may not seem to make a lot of sense, but let me explain. The production of Evampira, I discovered, requires a very specific form of vampire blood, determined by the blood type and age of the individual. So far, the ones that you see before you are the only suitable subjects I have so far found."

"What about the ones who don't?"

"Oh, they're disposed of, as all vampires should be. The only reason that these are still alive is because I need to keep them so in order to continue my experiments. Once they had served their purpose, they will also be decapitated." He stared hard at his son. "Cory, what's the matter? You seem quite troubled by what I'm telling you?"

"Well, I… yeah, maybe a little. I mean, I know that it might seem all justified to you, but this just seems wrong to me, somehow." Actually, that was an understatement. Cory was having immense difficulty in wrapping his mind around all this. To tell the truth, he had never had much use for medical procedures under the best circumstances. He had tried, because he knew that one of his father's dreams for his son to become a doctor like him. But what Scott was now describing was completely beyond him. He couldn't silence a little voice in his head that all this to much resembled torture.

Whether or not Scott was aware of his son's doubts was immaterial. He put on his son's shoulder and said, seriously but without reproach. "Cory, I understand all this is very new to you. I can't blame you. You weren't raised in the costumes as you should have been. But this above all else you must remember when dealing with vampires. They aren't humans. You mustn't let your natural compassion get the better of you. Vampires are nothing more than vicious, mindless monsters. They live for the hunt, killing humans and drinking their blood. I tell, Cory, if it weren't for hunters like the Kendericks, vampires would have taken over long ago. The human race owes its very existence to hunters like us. We are the only think that keeps them safe."

Cory had never seen his father talk like this. He had often spoken with pride of his calling, saying that he had saved many lives through his work. Cory had thought that he was talking about his work as a doctor. But he now realized that he had been speaking of something else entirely. "If vampires are such a big threat, then why have the hunters never actually exposed their existence to other people? I mean, surely there are enough humans word wide where for them to be a bigger threat than the vampires."

Scott smiled a little at his son's naïveté. "Once, humans did believe. In the centuries when superstition wasn't questioned, hunters were honored in society. However, times have changed. The advance of science has laid to rest many legends."

"But that still doesn't explain why more people couldn't fight against vampires if they knew about them."

"It's very difficult to comprehend on the surface, I know. However, it is best that humans do not know if this ongoing war with vampires. Were it to become known, humans might very well panic and resort to blind killings. It takes a very special person to know a human from a vampire. And vampires, though they are mere animals, have a strong survival instinct. They would fight back, and humans untrained in fighting them would be killed. If such a thing were to happen, the humans would, of course, eventually triumph, but only after too many had died. I can't allow that, just as you cannot. You must always remember that your duty is to protect humans, not kill them."

"But didn't you tell me that there are humans who actually work closely with vampires, even feeding them."

"Cory, no human works for a vampire of their own free will. They are either forced or coerced into doing so. Vampires have a very strong skill in persuasion. Protecting those humans especially is your first test. And you must never take the life of another human."

Cory still didn't know how he was supposed to take this all in. Scott could see that his son still seemed a little confused, so he said, "Look, Cory, why don't you take some time to think about this? It's a lot to take in, I know."

"Yeah, I think I will." Said Cory, he was grateful for any escape, because between what his father was telling him and being surrounded by vampire corpses, he was feeling just a little freaked out. He turned and walked hurriedly away.

He couldn't stop the tumble of emotions and conflicting thoughts that were spinning through his mind. He knew that his father was trying to train him in the ways of a hunter; he knew eventually what he would be asked to do. He could see the reasons why, could perhaps even try to approve of them. Vampires sounded very dangerous, evil even. Anything that would unthinkingly slaughter human beings and eat them was thoroughly distasteful. The way his father told it, it sounded like vampires most often didn't kill because they had to, but because they enjoyed human suffering. He couldn't feel sympathy for that.

And yet, he found that he could not entirely silence his doubts. How could he kill anyone or anything? He had never even held a weapon, much less try to kill anyone with one. And the other more important question was not could he, but would he? Honestly, he did not know. He was not a violent person. He didn't know if he could be the person his father wanted and expected him to be.

His childhood hadn't always been easy. His mother had been constantly moving from place to place during the first ten years of his life. She had said that it was to keep him safe for his father, though she never said why he needed to be kept safe from him. He was beginning to wonder just how much she had known, or if she had simply felt neglected by his constant absence.

When she had died, Cory had felt incredibly lost. He had found love and comfort in his uncle and aunt's home, but he had always felt like something was missing. Then, his father had started to visit him. And Cory had quickly found that his father was not someone to fear. Scott was gentle and kind to him, always attentive to his slightest needs.

Perhaps it was because he had been so young, and had needed someone to believe in and to believe in him. He had wanted to understand his father, to know that his mother had been mistaken. He wanted to prove the disapproval of his family wrong, and that Scott Kendrick was a good man and a good father.

He still wanted to believe that, and so he was trying to view the vampire and the hunter as his father said they were. But not even Cory could completely silence the voice of his conscience, which kept telling him that something was very wrong, and if he continued down this path, it would consume his very soul.

* * *

><p>As Cory walked away, Louis came up to stand beside Scott. Together, they watched after Cory. "Do you think he'll be able to take up your mantle?" Louis asked, after a moment.<p>

"It may take some time. But Cory is bright and he's passionate. All he needs is some form to express them in." He glanced at Louis. "Do you think he can't do it?"

"With all due respect, Scott, I have been watching him, and I have been seeing things that frankly concern me. I agree with you that Cory is bright, and he might have passion, but I don't know if he can have a passion for killing. Have you not seen the sickness in his face when he looks at these vampires and listens to your stories of hunting? I think that I have seen more horror than admiration, however much he might agree with you." Louis shook his head, "I must be blunt, Scott, your son seems to be the type who agrees that a rabid dog out to be shot because it's dangerous, but cannot hold the gun to kill it himself."

Scott was never one to disregard anything that displeased him, especially when it came from someone as astute as Louis. He did not necessarily like hearing this pronouncement about his son, but he did listen to it with an open mind nonetheless. "You may be right in spirit, Louis. Cory's upbringing is not what I would have wanted for him. I see now that I did not treat his mother as well as I should have. I should have told her why it was so necessary to be gone for such long periods. I would have tried to make amends with Cory had I been granted full custody of him. I'm lucky that I even managed to see him as often as I did to make an impact."

"Because he was not raised with you, he has no training, no idea of how to handle himself in the field." Said Louis. "Scott, he might be killed, or his compassion may get in the way of a kill. Do you want that to happen?"

"No, I don't. I never want to lose anyone who follows me. We go through thick and thin together, and we become like family. And Cory is most special to me. Now that I have him back after all these years, I do not intend to give him up or give him up on him. I will not lose him so easily, not the way I lost my father."

"But you must have seen his way, Scott. Cory is in danger of being blinded by compassion. He may well start viewing the vampires as actual people."

"That is his greatest danger, and it is something which I intend to make him understand. Compassion and empathy have no place in the hunt. I will have to teach him that such things are weaknesses."

"And if he cannot learn that?" asked Louis, pointedly.

Scott looked at Louis, his eyes sharp and serious. "He is a Kenderick." He said decidedly, and with no room for argument. "He _will_ learn." Though Scott was open to hearing opinions different from his own, he was also a leader. When he felt a discussion was at an end, he refused to hear anything more about it. Louis knew that he would have to let the matter go, for now.

"Very well. There was something else that I wanted to speak with you about. It's quite urgent."

"What is it?"

"I got a message today from one of our supporters in the medical field. It seems that questions are starting to be asked about Evampira."

"There have been questions since the beginning. There always is in these circumstances. But they will be silenced in the end, wait and see."

"This is a bit more serious. There are rumors of a law suit pending. Someone has been looking into Evampira a bit more closely than we wanted."

"Who, if I might ask?"

"This will interest you, especially. It's a lawyer by the name of Simone Demont, who works for none other than Josef Koston."

At the mention of the name Josef Koston, I look of pure hatred passed over Scott's face. For a split second, his eyes were cold and frightening, and a true spirit of the hardened hunter came into him. Josef Koston was no ordinary vampire that Scott felt compelled to get rid of for the sake of humanity. This was a personal fight.

"So, we have finally gotten his attention." he said, with evident satisfaction. "I knew that Evampira would eventually."

"How shall we proceed?"

"We strike at the heart of the problem. He can't do anything without the humans he holds on a leash. Though I am grieved that one of my family had to be dragged into this."

"What do you mean?"

"Simone Demont is my cousin, actually a member of the same family that raised Cory. That will make this more complicated."

"What difference does it make? She's still betrayed you twice over, by working with the vampires and trying to expose you."

"That may be. She is a traitor, but she is still a human, and I will have no human blood on my hands. You share my belief on that, Louis. We cannot truly protect mankind from vampires if we make a point of killing them."

"But you do have a plan, I assume?"

"When have you ever known me to not have one? No, killing Simone or any other human regardless of familial connection if out of the question. However, intimidation can work wonders. And perhaps, if we play our cards right. We might be able to use this even more to our advantage."

* * *

><p>I am trying to make the hunters people, and not just random bad guys. There are reasons why they do the things that they do, espcially ScottKenderick, as will soon become clear. Anyway, please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: The news of Simone's pregnancy creates a moment of reflection for our two favorite vampire couples.


	12. Reassurances

Yay! Writer's block has finally lifted. Hope that this chapter proves to be worth the wait. Enjoy!

Reassurances:

The news of Simone's pregnancy was exactly what Carlisle had predicted. It was greeted with general joy and some amount of relief. There was a sense of rising tension amongst the vampires in the city, and felt especially by those who were closest to the Elder. A conflict would soon be unleashed, and any sort of distraction from that was more then welcome.

Travis was overjoyed at the news that he was going to be a father. Simone had turned up at Dashwood's, just as he was leaving and Karlie was arriving. She had been in such a tizzy of excitement that for a moment, Travis thought that something terrible had happened. Simone hadn't been able to keep it a secret for anything more than five seconds, and she had immediately blurted out the news of her pregnancy, not just to Travis but to Karlie as well. Travis had immediately embraced her, not only because she was pregnant, but also because he was relieved that there was a reason why Simone had been acting so odd lately.

For Karlie, gave her almost as much joy as the human couple who had become so close to her. However, that happiness was also mixed with a wistful melancholy. Karlie could never hear of such things among her human friends, could never see their joy at the imminent arrival of new birth, without knowing that she would never be able to experience that with Josef.

It was her only regret as a vampire, the only thing that she wished she could change. She could never have children, and sometimes that one desire could make her intensely sad.

It was these mixed feelings which found her coming home that night to a glass of scotch and blood, and it was in that state that Josef found her when he came home. "So, I see that you heard about Simone." He said, as he came into the room, and saw her.

"Yes," said Karlie, a bit distracted, "its wonderful news."

"I'm sure you think so." Said Josef, as he saw down beside her. "Along with a few other things." He put his arm around her shoulders, and she curled herself up into his side.

"I'm so selfish sometimes, Josef." She said, after a moment.

"Oh, Karlie."

"No, it's true. Between all the conflicts in life that we're facing with the hunters and Simone and Travis' news, all I can think about is how unfair it is that I can't have the one thing that I want."

"Aren't we all like that sometimes?" Josef weaved his fingers through Karlie's hair. His voice was tender when he spoke, the tone that he only used when they were alone. "Sweetheart, it's not a crime to feel like this."

"I don't like feeling like this. I know that I can't change it. It's not worth getting so depressed over."

"You can't avoid it, Karlie. It's part of who you are, regardless of whether or not it's something you can have or not."

"You have a very accepting viewpoint of regrets all of a sudden, especially considering that you don't believe in them."

"I try my best, but I don't think you even know that I can't hide from them entirely. I can't help thinking about it myself, considering the latest thing that I heard from Simone. And I have to tell you, I sometimes wonder what you think of me in all this.

Karlie lifted her head from his shoulder, looking into his face. "What do you mean?"

"Karlie, I'm the reason you can't have children. I was the one who turned you. I know that you did it willingly, but all this pain you go through sometimes, the wistfulness that you can never really fulfill, I'm the cause of that. I don't see how you could never have resented me at some point because of that."

But Karlie was already shaking her head in vehement denial. "Josef, I have never resented you for this. It was my own choice, and even if I wasn't fully aware of what it would mean to never have children when you turned me, I couldn't blame anyone but myself for the choice that I made, even if I ever did that. I know that you gave me plenty of opportunities to walk out, but I knew what I wanted, and even this is worth it."

Josef, even after all these years, was still be overwhelmed by the way in which Karlie could be so understanding. He truly didn't deserve her, but she made him a better vampire and a better man by her sheer existence. "It means a lot to hear you say that. It still can't take away the fact that we can never have children, but I would hate if you ever thought to blame me. I don't want to be the cause of any pain to you."

"You'll never have to worry about that, Josef. You can be an extremely irritating person to be around, but you've never caused me any pain. And you have given me so much more than I could ever have asked for. With you, I am complete and that's enough."

Josef smiled at her, and brought his lips down to her tenderly and gently. There may have been one thing that they both would have liked to share. But nothing could ever shatter the devotion that they had built over so many long years.

"I'm feeling better now." said Karlie, after a few minutes. "I think that I can finally enjoy this news as it's meant to be received."

"I'm glad to hear that." said Josef, "You'll be worse than Simone's mother when it comes to your ideas."

"Simone has already asked for my help." Said Karlie, "She said that she thinks my age will give me some wisdom in how to decorate the twins' bedroom."

"They're both going to be strapped for time now." said Josef, "Imagine trying to raise two kids at the same time. What are they going to do when college rolls around?"

Karlie shot him a pointed look. "You'll be helping with that little detail, Josef, I'm sure. You've probably already looked into setting up the beginnings of a college fund. You do all the time."

"And what's wrong with that? Travis and Simone are both smart people, I'm sure their kids will be the same. It's an investment for the future."

"I'm sure that you think that."

* * *

><p>When Beth got home that day, it was find that Mick was waiting for her in the living room. "Hi there, Beth." Said Mick, "I've been waiting for you to get home."<p>

"Why? Is there something wrong? Is it the hunters?"

"No, no nothing like that. But I think the two of us have been dancing some around some issues for the past few months, and I think that it's time we had a real talk about them."

"Oh, okay." Said Beth, as she sat down beside him, "What brought this on?"

"I was talking with Josef today, and I happened to be present when Simone walked in, glowing and announced without any preamble that she was pregnant."

Beth raised her eyebrows and found herself smiling. "Really? That's wonderful news. That must have raised an interesting reaction in Josef."

"Yeah, it was kind of funny. It's not every day that you see Josef look so surprised. I think that he was caught completely off-guard. But, once he gets used to the idea, he should be quite pleased."

"That's really great. I'll have to call her later this evening. But, Mick, I have to admit that I really don't know what that has to do with you and me and the problems that we've been having."

Mick shrugged. "I don't know. I guess that it just made me see that life is moving forward, for you and me in its different ways. We need to face these problems now, or they will tear us apart in the future."

Beth nodded. "Yeah, I understand. So, where do you want to start? I realize that the whole issue of turning me is difficult for you to talk about, but I have wanted to speak with you about it more in-depth."

"Look, Beth, I'm not averse to the idea of turning you." Beth looked up at Mick, and there was mild surprise in her expression. Clearly, the thought had occurred to her that part of Mick's reluctance might stem from the fact that he didn't want to turn her. "Yes, I know it comes as a surprise. It might surprise you even more when I admit that I've come close to proposing the idea myself on more than one occasion."

"So, why haven't you? What's held you back?"

Mick hesitated, before he answered. "Coraline." Beth scowled, annoyed and angry that that witch of a woman had to even destroy Mick's confidence in turning someone else. "Beth, I know what you're thinking. But Coraline, whether it was bad or good, had an enormous impact on my life. I can still remember all that she put me through, and I couldn't bear the idea of doing the same to you."

Beth placed her hands on Mick's chest and waited until he was looking at her, and she said, with all confidence, "Mick, you wouldn't do anything like that. I know you, and you are nothing like Coraline."

"I know that, Beth. But I can't fully banish those doubts from my mind. And until I do, I don't know if I could ever be the sire that you deserve."

"I think that I understand." Said Beth, "And I feel better knowing that you do want to turn me. But, Carlisle also told me something else. He said that you don't want to turn me, because I'm one of the things that help you remember what it was like to be human, and that if you turned me, you would be afraid that you would forget what it meant to be human."

Mick couldn't help but laugh a little at Carlisle's insightfulness. "Carlisle should have been a psychiatrist."

"He actually told me that he has a degree in that too, it's just a few hundred years old. He said that the essential facts of the human and vampire brain haven't changed all that much, especially the vampire mind."

"He's probably right, as he certainly is in this case. I once told you that I never wanted to forget what it meant to be human, and that's still true. Before I met you, Beth, I was sometimes afraid that I was losing that. You gave me a clearer taste of what it felt like to be human again that I ever thought possible. It made me realize that I wasn't a monster. That has meant more to me than anything else you've given me. But, I think that I was afraid that I would lose that. That's been selfish of me, and I promise to try and overcome them."

Beth smiled and leaned a bit closer into Mick's embrace. "That makes me really happy to hear." She said, "I have been struggling with some doubts about whether you wanted to turn me or not. I'm glad that that's not the issue at stake."

"It never was, and that should never be something that you have to question." Said Mick, fervently, as he placed a gentle kiss on her head. "But, I want to know, have you ever had any doubts about what your future with me would be if you were turned. There are some things that you know you would have to give up."

Beth considered this, and said, "Well, the idea of Simone being pregnant does make me think. I know that I wouldn't be able to have children with you if I were a vampire."

"You can't have children with me now as it is." Mick pointed out. "But, I would have loved to have had children with you. I was always would have liked to think that they would have had your eyes and my hair."

Beth laughed. "I can't deny that a part of me would like to carry your children Mick. But _being_ with you is ultimately more important to me. I don't want to lose you, Mick. You're the most stable thing that has ever happened to me, especially since my mom died. I have no other real family, besides you, and Karlie, even Josef. You've all opened your arms and your hearts to me. That's something that I don't want to lose."

"I think that I understand how you feel on that score too." Said Mick. "If it hadn't been for Josef and Karlie, I wouldn't have had a family to call my own for my eternity. There is something to be said for that. But you should also be aware, Beth, that even if you were old and grey, I would still find you impossible to resist."

Beth found herself laughing, and put her arms around Mick's neck. "I don't suppose that you would be willing to prove it."

Mick growled wolfishly, as he picked her up and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. "In that, my dear Beth, I think I will always be happy to oblige you."

* * *

><p>Beth's conversation with Mick did put some of her worries to rest. It was a great load off of her mind to know that he actually did want to turn her. But it still could not lay to rest all of her nagging doubts. For all that she was willing to wait, she also wanted to truly begin a new stage of her life, one that she could share fully with Mick without reservations or fear.<p>

Those thoughts were nagging in the back of her mind when she showed up at the Koston mansion a few days later. Karlie had invited her to do some shopping with herself and Simone. Apparently, Simone wanted a head start on planning for what to get the babies. She didn't know the sexes yet, but she at least wanted to get some ideas. It was somewhat touchingly amusing that Simone, who had never been the maternal type, was suddenly feeling the instinct that all new mothers had of lining their nest. Motherhood was truly the great leveler of all womankind.

Simone had also asked Beth to come along, as the two of them had become very good friends over the past few years. However, the first one to greet her was not Karlie, but Josef. "I see that you got recruited for the baby brigade." He greeted her with a smile.

Beth raised her eyebrows. "The baby brigade? Is that what you're going to call us?"

"Why not? It seems fitting, considering that you three are most likely going to direct the next seven months of Simone's pregnancy like a military unit. It's catchy, too, so it serves both purposes."

Beth shook her head, smiling. "Does Karlie know about this little nickname?"

"Not yet, I thought that I would surprise her with it and see what kind of reaction I got."

Beth rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when she does, Josef. Where is she, anyway?"

"Oh, she should be down in a minute. Rotating some delivery orders around so that she can have the rest of the afternoon free." Josef looked closely at Beth, "Something wrong? You look a little stressed out."

"It's nothing, really."

"It's about Mick, isn't it?" At Beth's surprised look, Josef rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Beth. You two are the hottest item of gossip going around the vampire community right now."

"Really? That's reassuring."

"Take it as a complement, Beth. Not many humans can garnish the kind of attention that you can after such a short time. Part of it was that Mick hated being a vampire for so long, that he developed a notorious reputation for shutting any human out. The very fact that you came along and were able to get him so well in your clutches is an object of interest to the community."

Beth wasn't exactly sure if she could take that as a compliment, but she decided not pursue it. She had a feeling that Josef was enjoying the whole idea a little too much, and the last thing she wanted to do was give him more opportunities to expound on it. "However that might be, I still find his whole attitude a little frustrating."

Josef's expression became serious. "Still has cold feet about the turning issue, does he?"

"Yeah. We did talk it over last night, and I am feeling a lot better about it, but, well…. I don't know. I'm just ready, and I want to get started on a new life now."

Josef stared at her for a moment, as though weighing the reaction that his next words would gain. "Beth, have you ever considered taking matters into your own hands?"

Beth looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the choice to be turned is your own, and it shouldn't be dictated by Mick. If you want to be turned, he has no right to stop you."

"Are you suggesting that I ask someone else to turn me?"

"Don't sound so appalled by the idea." Said Josef, with a smile, "Being turned by someone isn't the same thing as cheating on Mick, it actually happens quite a lot. Sometimes a human wants to be turned, but their significant partner doesn't think that they have the maturity to handle the responsibility of a fledgling. They then usually ask a trusted member of the community to assist them in the process."

"But doesn't that cause problems in the relationship in the first place? If it starts out as a romantic relationship, wouldn't it become like a threesome, with the fledgling developing feelings for their sire?"

"Beth, a relationship between a sire and a fledgling is fueled by whatever feelings came before. Frederich certainly wasn't in love with me when he turned me, and the connection that I have with him is hardly romantic. Of course, there might always be that connection that the fledgling has with the sire, but the bond that will grow between the couple is just as strong. It's really no different than loving your mother or father and your spouse all at the same time, it's just a different type of love."

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Said Beth, after a pause. "But even if I were to make that decision, who would I even ask to turn me?"

Josef actually looked hurt. "I'm wounded, Beth. The answer is as simple as the guy standing in front of you."

For a moment, Beth couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You? You would want to turn me?"

"Sure, does that strike you as being totally impossible?"

"You just never struck me as being the type to want to turn your best friend's girlfriend?"

"Look, Beth, I like you. You've got spunk, and you're a lot smarter than most humans I know. You've seen the worst that our kind can do, but you've stayed loyal to Mick through it all. I think that you would make a great addition to the community. If you wanted to be turned, and get sick of waiting for Mick, I would be happy to do it for you."

"What would Karlie say to that?"

"We've discussed the possibility, and she has no problem with it. She would turn you herself if she thought she would be able to handle the responsibility, but she wants to wait another few decades before she feels capable of doing that."

"And Mick? You're not afraid that he would rip your head off for going behind his back?"

"I have a feeling that he would thank me after his initial annoyance died down." Josef's face grew serious and he said, "To be truthful, Beth, it's partly out of a consideration for Mick's that I am considering this. Mick can't lose you. If he does, it will shatter him completely. He won't be able to recover. I would be willing to go through a lot to make sure that doesn't happen, even enduring his displeasure for a few decades. Mick needs you, Beth, and I intend to make sure that he sees that."

Beth was touched by Josef's words, and the genuine feeling behind them. Despite their good natured ribbing of each other, the friendship between the two of them was evident. Though they had had completely different upbringings in terms of being vampires and were polar opposites in personality, each completed the other so well. That sense of brotherhood had only increased when Josef had re-turned Mick the year before. It spoke of the bonds of their friendship at just how far Josef was willing to go to make sure that Mick wasn't hurt.

Still, Beth was not entirely certain. Josef's offer intrigued her, but she still wanted Mick to be the one to turn her, it was with him that she wanted to feel that special bond of sire and fledging. It really didn't have anything to do with disloyalty, but more that she loved him, and wanted to begin her eternity with him. "I'll keep your offer in mind, Josef. And thanks for having such a high opinion of me. I think Mick will come around, he just needs a bit more time."

"Well, just remember the offer is open, and it won't expire."

Beth smiled, and on impulse, she went up to Josef and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a really great person, Josef Koston."

"Don't whisper it around, though." Said Josef, "I don't want it to ruin my reputation."

* * *

><p>So, Josef is offering an alternative to Beth. Wonder how Mick will react to that when he hears it. Just as a heads up, the problems that Beth and Mick are experiencing aren't perfectly made up yet. There will still be a little bit of tension that they will need to face. I think that it's more realstic that way myself. Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: What starts as a fun little shopping trip will lead to a terrifying encounter with Scott Kenderick himself. Kidnapping Beth and Simone for the purposes of intimidation, it soon becomes apparent that Scott has more than a little history with Josef and Karlie, and that he has come there for a very specific purpose.


	13. Abducted

Hello. Sorry for the long delay, again. Summer college classes and a new job can be blamed on that. Hope that this chapter proves to be worth the wait.

Abducted:

There was an element of vampire hunting that went beyond holding a gun and firing at a moving target to kill. It also involved an element of espionage and undercover work. Among the humans, vampires were secretive. However, among their own kind, they could be as loose-tongued and as prone to gossip as any tabloid. This, it was often an ironic tragedy that vampires could be the architect of their own demise. Hunters frequented vampire clubs, kept their ears open to the conversations around them, and then used that information to plan their strategy.

Louis was a master at this. He knew when the vampire clubs were in LA, and he and a few others canvassed them while Scott was off on his hunts. It was on these covert stake outs that Louis had learned the inner structures of LA's vampire hierarchy.

At the top was Josef Koston, and his wife, Karlie Dashwood. They were Scott's primary targets, and he already had a great deal of information on them. However, he also learned that Koston had a shadow.

His name was Mick St. John. He was one of the younger vampires in LA, which was surprising when one considered that he was Koston's best friend, functioning very like a second in command. In any sort of threat, the two faced it together.

St. John claimed to be a PI. Rumors around the community said that he was almost to soft to the humans. However, neither Scott nor Louis believed that for a second. Vampires were vampires, and regardless of how hard they tried, they would never be able to be anything other than predators.

The only other questionable thing about the situation was the fact that St. John was currently involved with a human, a reporter named Mick Beth Turner. Scott recognized the name as she had written a few articles about Evampira. That made the situation more complicated because humans could become overly attached to their vampire handlers. Vampires were incredibly seductive, and any human unfortunate enough to become entangled with a vampire soon found themselves addicted to them. Such humans would try to defend them by any means possible. They actually believed that the vampires cared for them. That was a ,lie; of course, humans simply regarded them as playthings. They cared nothing else for mortals beyond that.

But the victim rarely, if ever, listened to reason. They actually inspired something like pity in Scott. The poor humans really didn't have any idea what they were dealing with. It was actually a kindness to destroy the vampires they become addicted to. It was usually the only thing that could break them of the addiction.

For a time, it didn't seem as though this would be a factor in their plan to abduct Simone Demont for a little chat, as Scott put it. However, in the course of following her for an ideal opportunity, Louis, who was in charge of the little operation, soon realized that there would be only one ideal chance to take care of the problem. Simone was going shopping with Beth and Karlie Dashwood. They would be in a crowded mall during daylight hours. Karlie would be at a disadvantage because of this and there would be no other vampires to become entangled in a conflict.

So, Louis and his associate were at the mall the day of their little shopping excursion, and stalked them, as they would any other prey. They were careful to not be seen or observed, and they even split up on occasion. They didn't follow them into any of the stores, but waited for them to split up. Not even Karlie suspected that they had a tail. They were just that good.

Their chance finally came when after a few hours of browsing, Beth and Simone opted to take a sit down at a coffee shop. Karlie, however, did not joining them. She said that she had some things to attend to. That probably meant that she needed to get an injection of blood. Vampires often brought phials of blood with them when they had to go somewhere in the daytime. It was one sure way that they could keep up their strength in the light of the sun, at least temporarily.

It was just the chance which they had been waiting for. As soon as Louis determined that Karlie was out of the way, the two of them moved in. when Beth's phone rang, she had no idea who was would be answering her. "Hello?"

"We have been following you for the past two hours." Said Louis, watching the two women intently.

"What?" was Beth's confused reply, "Who is this?"

"Look across the way to your right." Beth turned to look in their direction, and it didn't take her long to see him. He saw a flash of fear in her eyes, followed shortly after by defiance.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you don't know who you're dealing with."

"Oh, I do, actually, Miss Turner. Unfortunately, you do not. I know that your vampire escort is not within range for you to call on her help, and it will be that way for at least another fifteen minutes. And I wouldn't suggest trying to contact her in secret. It would be a rather bad idea."

Beth swallowed hard, and glanced across at Simone, who had also caught sight of their shadow and was now looking more than a little worried as the threat of their situation became clear to her. "What do you want?" Beth asked.

"My employer merely wishes to speak with you." said Louis, "Please, come with us quietly, and we won't have to make a scene out of this."

Beth and Simone had little choice at this point. They could wait for Karlie, but it seemed apparent that if they did so, they might be putting her life in danger. And there was only so much that they could do against two men who killed vampires for a living.

The two women were led into the parking lot of the shopping center, and were made to get into the back of a black van, one that hauntingly reminded Beth of the one that had been at the hunt of Lisa Marshall. They were made to give up their cell phones, and sit in the back. None of the guards said anything to them after that, and somehow they both knew that any breech of the silence would now be kindly tolerated. For some reason, Simone was shivering with fright. She didn't know why she should be frightened, but the news of her pregnancy had made her acutely aware that she had more than her own life to protect. Beth put an arm around her encouragingly, trying to tell her through her expression that everything would be all right. If these people had wanted to kill them, something told her that they would have done so, already.

They were driven to a park on the outskirts of LA, a place where there would be few witnesses to the ensuing interrogation. Once they came to a stop, the men who had been guarding told them roughly to get out. Beth had a few choice words for him in response. Though he seemed angered by the challenge, he didn't do anything to her. that made Beth feel somewhat better. Perhaps they would be able to get out of this without getting hurt.

They got out of the van and walked over to one of the picnic tables, where a man was sitting down with one other person. Simone stopped in her tracks when she recognized him. "Scott."

"Rightly so, Simone. It's what, ten years, since we last saw each other." Scott got to his feet, as did his companion, and he walked over to the two of them with the ease and grace of one who knew how to move without being heard. Beth also saw that his eyes seemed to take them in, and determine if they would be a threat to him within five seconds. Despite herself, she shuddered. She had thought only vampires were capable of analyzing a situation so quickly. Clearly, hunters could as well.

"Scott Kenderick," said Beth, "You? You're the hunter whose bee going around killing all the vampires you can get your hands on."

Scott shook his head. "You are both in the grip of them. I know that you won't understand the sacredness of my calling."

"Sacredness?" cried Beth, angry at the callous way he was saying the words. "How can it be sacred to kill innocent people? They've never done you any harm. And the ones that you aren't killing, you're using for experiments."

"Judging from the articles that you've been writing, Miss Turner, I expected that you would have had a more developed understanding of what my medicine is doing."

"It's killing people. The very humans that you're trying to protect are the very ones that you're killing."

"Wait, what are you talking about, Beth?" said Simone, who didn't know the double identity of the man standing before her.

"Oh, haven't they told you, Simone." Said Scott, "I can't say I'm surprised. They always keep the most pertinent information from humans. I suppose that I can't entirely blame you for the fact that you've been investigating me and Evampira."

"What?" said Simone.

"Kenneth Severn. Scott Kenderick. You didn't even stop to think about the similarity between those two names? I was the one who invented Evampira, but I needed a good alibi in order to make sure that I could get it to the right hospitals. My real name tends to arouse a bit to much attention.

"I can't imagine why." Retorted Beth, sarcastically.

"Please, Miss Turner. I would appreciate your silence in this matter. It really doesn't concern you. I was forced to bring you along because to leave you behind would have been to raise the alarm. This is between me and Simone."

"If you're going to ask to stop investigating you, that's not going to happen." Said Simone, defiantly, "What you're doing is wrong, Scott. I know the vampires in a way that you could never understand, and I'm not going to let you harm them."

"You wouldn't know how many times I have heard those words. It's useless, Simone. I have seen vampires for what they really are. And nothing you say will convince me otherwise of the truth."

"That just proves your close minded and stubborn." Said Simone, "And your willing to use that to justify your own acts of violence."

Scott's face grew dark and cold rage flashed in his eyes. "What about the acts of violence your sainted Josef Koston has done during his four hundred years? Do you think he is free of any blood on his hands? I can assure he is not. He is guiltier than I will ever be."

"He only has to use violence to defend himself and his kind from threats like you." said Simone.

"Don't flatter yourself with naivety, Simone." Said Scott. "You cannot stand there and tell me that Koston has never killed anyone for the pleasure of it. He is a murderer and he will be treated as such. What I want to know is if you will be going own with him?"

"You're not going to kill her." said Beth, "You would hate to spoil your perfect record."

"There are many other ways to bring down a person." Said Scott, staring steadily at Simone, a piercing, searching gaze that made her squirm despite herself. Scott did have a way of setting even the strongest of wills on edge. He knew how to manipulate people, to lay bear their inmost fears and torture them with those. That was always more effective than taking the easy way out of killing people. "I'll lay it out for you, Simone, plain and simple. If you don't stop prying, I will destroy you. Everything you are, everything that you have worked will be stripped away, until you are left with nothing."

"You won't win." Said Simone, though she couldn't stop the quaver from coming into her voice.

"Oh, won't I?" said Scott, as he came towards her threateningly. She backed away, uncertainty flashing in her eyes. "You can't count on your vampire protector. You can't count that he will always be there for you. Besides, if he falls, everything that's protected over these last few years will crumble at your feet. You have invested too much in vampires, Simone. When you need them most, they will abandon you."

Simone had been backing away during this entire speech. Perhaps it was because her pregnancy had thrown all of her emotional responses into a state of unpredictability. And sometimes, when confronted with a man who is bent on nothing but hurting oneself and those that they love, it is difficult for one even like Simone to be completely unaffected. Scott had done his job almost to well. Tears were streaming down Simone's face, though she didn't know if it was because of Scott's threats or what the accomplishment of those threats would mean to those that she held dear.

She wasn't looking where she was going and she stumbled and fell backwards. Immediately, her hand flew to her stomach, protecting two little lives that were yet unborn. She had never felt the protective instincts of a mother, but in that instant, when Scott threatened everything that she held dear, her first thought was only for the protection of her babies, and getting them away from this crazy psychopath.

Whether or not Beth knew these things she didn't know. But she had had enough of watching this hunter push Simone around. "Leave her around." she cried, she rushed Scott. She didn't know what she would be able to do, but at the moment, all she wanted was to distract him from Simone.

In any event, she didn't get a chance to try and get the better of him. Scott was a seasoned hunter for a reason. Sensing her coming, he turned swiftly, and grabbed her by the arm. In a moment, Beth was rendered defenseless and staring at Scott, whose face showed anger, but also strangely, pity. "It is a pity, Beth Turner that you should have been thrown into this world. You have such talent, and you are wasting it. I would almost think it a mercy to kill your precious Mick St. John so that you can realize your full potential."

"How could you possibly consider a mercy to kill my boyfriend, not that you're going to."

Scott shook his head and released her. "So innocent. You honestly think that a vampire like Mick St. John is going to care about you in a few years? Their attentions change as surely as the wind."

"Mick's not going to leave me. We've been together for four years."

"Yes, in all that time he has used as his plaything, a useful tool that he can use for his own advantage. I know all about it, Miss Turner. Tell me, if St. John cares so much for you, why has he done nothing whatsoever to turn you? I do believe that is considered something of a permanent arrangement with vampires who feel something beyond the lust which normally dominates their relationships with humans. He must care very little for you if he doesn't want to take on any of the responsibilities."

Beth opened her mouth to deliver a sharp tirade, but no words came forth. For just a brief moment, Scott had managed to uncover all of her deepest fears. She knew that there was no truth to them at all, but that didn't mean that they were ever entirely absent. Indeed, sometimes the shadowy images of fears could be more threatening than any real danger.

Scott merely regarded for a very long minute, all of his beliefs in vampires and humans reaffirmed as he looked at the two women before him. So tragic, and yet so typical. He did not know whether to be pitying or contemptuous.

"I believe that my message is quite clear." He said, at last. "I will be watching, Simone. Don't think that I won't be. Consider whose side you want to be on. Because I can promise you, Josef Koston will not be walking away from this. I have been hunting him to long to miss this chance."

Beth, though she may have been temporarily beaten by Scott, still could hear the things which many others might have missed. In this statement, she began to understand what Scott wanted, or rather, why he had come to LA instead of anywhere else. "Why do you hate him so much?"

Scott looked at her. "Ah, so he hasn't told you of our shared past history? Blood has been split between us, Miss Turner, and I intend to make it his blood which is spilled next. Perhaps you might want to ask him yourself. Now, if you two will excuse me, I have many things to attend to. Go ahead and call for help, but don't think that you will be able to lead your vampire friends anywhere near us. We hunters make it a point of disappearing."

He looked at his guards. "Come on, Louis. Give them back their cell phones, they will be no more trouble tonight." He headed for the van which had driven them to the park, before he stopped and looked back at them, "Oh, and Simone, don't worry about Cory. I'm sure that he will be a fine hunter."

The next moment, they were gone. Events followed swiftly after that. Beth was able to call Mick, who had been understandably sick with worry ever since he had been informed by Karlie that Simone and Beth had disappeared during their shopping trip. He and Travis both came out to pick up their respective ladies, and to take them home. Neither of them was harmed, and even Simone's scare would most likely pass after a few hours.

However, Mick was not happy. He might not have blamed Karlie for the kidnapping under ordinary circumstances, but he soon knew that the whole motivation behind it came from what Scott wanted in LA: nothing less than the deaths of Josef and Karlie. The two had deliberately left out the fact in all their planning that the root of this hunt was buried in a blood feud.

Mick was determined to get Josef to tell him the truth once and for all. Beth barely had time to call Karlie and warn her that all hell was fixing to break loose.

* * *

><p>Please read and review. The next chapter shouldn't take nearly so long to upload.<p>

Next chapter: Mick confronts Josef about his past with Scott Kenderick. It is revealed that the feud between the two groups goes back many years and is written in blood. And Josef will have to convince Simone that there are some battles which can't be won. Sometimes, the fight must be left to someone else.


	14. Truth's Witness

Truth's Witness:

Josef had expected Mick to appear at the mansion after the events of the abduction. He had even expected Mick to be in a terribly irate mood. But that turned out to be an understatement when Mick came into the den of the mansion, resembling a thunderhead cloud, his eyes seeking out and immediately settling on Josef. "What the hell is going on, Josef?" He demanded, his voice a dark growl that demanded instant answers.

"Good evening, Mick. Whatever happened your impeccable manners?"

Mick stalked over to Josef, until he was staring him directly in the eye. "Do not give me that." He said, emphasizing each word with warning. "Do you have any idea what happened this afternoon? Beth and Simone were kidnapped and threatened by a semi-crazed vampire hunter. They both could have been killed. And all because of this blood feud that you and Karlie have with Kenderick. What the hell have you roped us into?"

Josef's face flickered with defensiveness and irritation. "Mick, you have to believe me. I didn't intend for any of this to happen."

"You'll forgive me, Josef, if I find that incredibly hard to believe after what happened. Doesn't the safety of Beth and Simone mean anything to you?"

"Kenderick isn't after humans, Mick. You know that's not his style."

"How comforting. Than would you at least care to explain to me why he's so intent on killing you?"

"That's none of your concern, Mick."

"It did become my concern when you drag Beth into your petty blood feuds."

For some reason, Mick's words seemed to have hit a nerve. Josef growled threateningly, and his eyes flashed silver. "It's not a petty blood feud, Mick. It's more serious than you understand. And if you're so concerned about Beth, Why don't you turn her and remove one less level of stress from your life?"

Mick's control failed, and his own inner vampire came surging to the surface. "Leave that out of this. It's not your call."

"And it's not yours, either. It's Beth's-"

"Mick, Josef, enough, calm down before you break something or each other." Both Mick and Josef turned to the door to see that Beth and Karlie were standing there. It was Karlie who had spoken to them, ad her calming presence brought some level of sanity back into the room. Their eyes returned to normal, and the fangs receded. Karlie came up to her husband. "Josef, we have to tell them. We should never have kept this secret from them in the first place."

Josef looked at Karlie and knew that he was right, though he hated to admit it. Sighing deeply, he sat down, and gestured that the others should do the same. "Fine, you have to know that this isn't the first time that we've encountered Kenderick. We met him once, in the 1970's, while we were still living in Chicago."

"You did live in Chicago during the first few decades of your marriage." Said Mick, "But I never really knew why you ended up coming to LA. I thought it was to keep an eye on me."

"That may have been part of it, but don't flatter yourself, Mick. There were several other factors beyond our control when we first were thinking about moving up here. It was because I had been offered the position of Elder here in LA. We were trying to decide whether or not we should accept."

"Is that when Scott Kenderick made the choice for you?" Beth asked.

"No, it wasn't him. It was his father, Bernard. The vampire hunter is a family business for the Kendericks. Scott was only a teenager at the time, and his father was just as dangerous as his son, if not more so. He tended to like to target the older vampires. They make better trophies in the hunter mind set. A 375 year old vampire like me was a gold mine to him."

"So, he started targeting you?" said Mick.

Josef shook his head. "Not me, Karlie."

That was all they needed to hear. The intense bond between Karlie and Josef was obvious even to humans. If anyone wanted to try to get one of them, all they needed to do was target the other. That hardly ever worked, since Karlie and Josef kept such high security, and were quite capable of taking care of themselves. However, judging from what they had seen of Scott's methods, it sounded like his family just might have the skills to catch them unawares."

"I started to receive death threats." Said Karlie, "And I always felt like I was being followed. Bernard tried to make a few attempts on my life. Josef finally had enough, and he wouldn't let me go anywhere by myself. It was during one of those attacks that Josef intervened and it happened."

"What happened?" asked Mick, though he believed he already knew the answer.

"I killed Scott's father." Said Josef, in a quiet voice.

"You killed him?" said Beth.

"Yes, and I don't regret it." said Josef, "The only action that I do regret is that I killed him right in front of Scott."

"I can only imagine that must have left some scars." Said Mick.

"It did, and even I have to admit that I went too far. I didn't just drain Bernard, which is the cleanest way, and what I should have done. I almost tore him apart. I was so angry that I wasn't thinking straight."

"Why didn't you just kill him?" asked Mick, "You must have known that Scott would come after you if you didn't. Blood feuds like this aren't easily forgotten in hunter circles."

"Mick, I'm not one for all your morals and codes of honor, but even I have limits. Scott was unarmed, injured, bleeding. And he was staring at me with a face that was so terrified; I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I just knew that I couldn't kill him. So, I took Karlie and left. Needless to say the act more or less made up our mind as to whether or not we would accept the Elder post in LA."

"Why would that have made any difference?" Beth asked, "He would have just been able to find you again, wouldn't he?"

"When a vampire becomes the Elder of a city," Said Karlie, "Very often, they're not from the area that they are elected to rule. It makes it easier for any power-snatcher to be kept at bay. And the vampires are granted an entirely new identity, one that is virtually untraceable. It was the safest option that we had against Kenderick."

"Then this happened." Said Josef, with a heavy sigh, "I've been keeping discrete tabs on Kenderick for the past twenty-five years. He disappeared six months ago, and I haven't been able to find him, until now." He looked at Mick, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you any of this. I had no idea that this would happen."

"I believe you, Josef." Said Mick, who understood now the deeper implications of what this meant to his best friend. "I know that you would never do anything to hurt Beth. But this would situation has just taken a more sinister tone."

"Kenderick isn't going to move on." Said Beth, "He wants revenge. He's to stay until he kills you both. "

"And he's persistent, which makes him even more dangerous." Said Josef, "To be honest, I don't know what to do next. Kenderick wouldn't show himself like this if he didn't have some higher plan for the future in mind."

"It was Simone." Said Beth, "He wasn't even interested in me. He just wanted to make sure that I didn't run off to warm Karlie. He said that she should stop her investigating Evampira, or he would ruin her once he kills you. I think he believes that she'll be too weak to fight on her own without a strong backer."

"I think you showed them that's not the case." said Mick, with approval.

"Nonetheless, if Simone has become their primary target," said Karlie, "That means that Kenderick won't be finished with her. She and Travis could still be in danger."

"That's true." said Josef, "Kenderick does have a moral code when it comes to humans, but that doesn't mean that he still won't miss an opportunity to inflict damage when he can. I suppose that the first immediate concern is making sure that Simone is safe."

* * *

><p>It was with a great deal of trepidation that Simone entered Josef's office the next evening. She hadn't felt so nervous since the time she had failed to secure the release of Emma Monaghan a few years back. She had been sure that Josef would have killed her for that. This time, she wouldn't blame him if he fired her without a second's pause. After all, what vampire would trust a human who was the relative of a vampire hunter?<p>

However, she was honestly surprised at Josef's warm greeting. He rose to meet her as soon as she entered the room. "Simone, how are you? Are you recovering all right from your shock?"

"Uh, yes." Said Simone, a little taken aback, and even more so when Josef actually pulled out a chair for her.

"The babies, they're fine, I hope."

"Yes, yes, they are. No harm done it would seem." As Josef was sitting back down, Simone hurriedly continued before Josef could say anything else. "Josef, I'm so sorry about this, all of this. I should have told you about Scott right from the start. I just didn't know that he could be behind all this, or that he was even a hunter. But I can understand if you don't trust me or-"

"Simone, stop groveling. I didn't call you here to fire you."

Simone was honestly surprised. "You're… you're not?"

"No, why should I?"

"Well, my cousin is a vampire hunter, who's trying to kill you. Why wouldn't you want to get rid of me as soon as possible?"

"Simone, you're not your family. I don't judge you based on what they do. You've more than proved your skills and your trustworthiness. I trust you completely. And if anyone thinks otherwise, they'll have to answer to me."

Simone smiled, grateful for Josef's words. "Well, I, I don't know what to say. But why have you called me here if you weren't going to fire me?"

Josef's face became serious. "Simone, I need you to listen me, very carefully. I think it's quite clear at this point that Kenderick is after you. He wants you to stop the investigation into Evampira."

"Yes, he did say something about that. But Josef, I'm going to keep doing my job. I'm not going to back down."

But Josef was already shaking his head. "Simone, you're going to have to drop it."

Simone stared at Josef in shock. "What? What are you saying?"

"I want you to drop the case against Evampira. I also want you and Travis, out of Los Angeles until this thing blows over."

"But, Josef-"

"Simone, this is for your protection."

"Josef, I can't just leave. You need my help. You can't ask me to run away. That's not what I do."

"Simone, this has nothing to do with your courage. It's necessary."

"How?"

Josef came around the desk, until he was standing right in front of her. "Simone, do you know why I'm still alive?"

"What do you mean?"

"How do you think I managed to survive for four hundred years? I can tell you that it wasn't because I stood for four hundred years. I can tell you that it wasn't because I stood and fought every battle that came my way. In fact, I have to admit that I've run far more than I've ever fought."

"Why?"

"Because you quickly learn as a vampire that you can't win. You have to run sometimes to live another day. Right now, that's what you have to do. You have to realize that this is for the best, Simone. It's not just your life that you need to be aware of." He cocked his head, listening to the two little heartbeats echoing in a duet with Simone's own.

Simone knew what she was implying. She put a hand over her stomach. She felt that same overwhelming urge to protect her unborn children that she had when she had been Kenderick's captive. She knew that Josef was right. She may not have liked it, but she really did have others besides herself that she would be putting in harm's way if she persisted in staying. She nodded reluctantly, and said, "Fine, you're right. I should go, even if I don't like it."

"No one ever does." Said Josef, "Go to St. Paul. I'm sure that you're family is anxious to see you. Your position will be waiting here when you get back."

Simone could sometimes still be very surprised at the vampires that she shared her life with. All the stories made them out to be unfeeling, vicious monsters. Yet, here was Josef with such compassion and understanding, a sharp contrast to the murdering rampage of Scott Kenderick. Acting on impulse, she got to her feet, and gave Josef a hug. Rather unprepared for this sudden show of affection, he stood awkwardly for a few seconds before tentatively returning the gesture. It didn't last long, but it was more than enough to get the point across.

Josef coughed, still a little embarrassed and gently pushed Simone away from him. "Don't get all sentimental on me." said Josef, "I can't have words getting around that I'm getting soft around my human employees."

Simone laughed a little. "No one will hear it from me." She sobered, and asked, "What will happen to him, to Scott?"

Josef's face was grim. "You know what will happen to him, Simone. It can't be helped. We have no other way of protecting ourselves." He stared at her in a penetrating manner. "Are you upset about that? I don't blame you if you do."

"No, it's not that. It's just… it's Cory. He's Scott's son. My family raised him. He's nothing like his father. I don't think that he even knows you vampires exist. But he disappeared a few weeks ago. And is he's with Scott, I would hate to think…" Her voice trailed off.

Simone I can't promise anything. If Cory has gotten himself involved in vampire hunting, there will be little I or anyone else can do to save him."

"I know, but if there is a chance, please keep in mind that he deserves it."

To be honest, Josef had his doubts. He knew the destructive tendencies of hunters. He knew that killing could take its toll upon even the most innocent mind. Though vampire hunters supposedly fought for the protection of humans, it could lead to twisted, dark obsession, an addiction which could never be given up. However, he couldn't tell Simone that. It would be better in the long run if she didn't know the details.

"I'll see what the future brings to me."

* * *

><p>I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Things are really going to start heating up in the next few chapters. For now, please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: The tension in LA is stretched nearly to the breaking point as the two parties circle each other. However, when a misunderstanding grows into a dangerous disagreement between two life-long friends, Kenderick may well have found his chance to strike.


	15. The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm:

Tensions were rising in Los Angeles. Once Simone and Travis had left on what was officially called a family vacation, Scott Kenderick then seemed to focus all his attentions up on hunting the vampires in the city, and it became increasingly clear that Josef and Karlie were his primary targets.

His kills increased in frequency and violence. Though no bodies were ever found by the general public, pictures and reports were being circulated by other members of the community. Some of the reports were brutal. Loved ones were disappearing and the panic was simmering just beneath the surface. Josef himself was becoming hard pressed to maintain order in the city, and it soon slowed to his detriment.

Louis and scouting partner, Charles, were in the same bar that they had frequented many times. It had both human and vampire patrons, but vampires were served by vampires, and humans were served by humans. Thus, both kinds looked after their own. This kept the secret, but it also unfortunately meant that predators could gather information on their prey.

On this particular night, Louis and Charles were sitting at a back table, when two vampires that they had been keeping tabs entered the bar. These two vampires happened to work for Josef Koston as economic advisers. They were a reliable source of information. They came in every few nights to share a few drinks and talk about the drama which working for the boss produced on a regular basis. And it would turn out that they had a great deal of information to unthinkingly pass on that night.

"Did you hear what happened between Koston and St. John?" said one, as their drinks came.

"Naw, but I did see St. John going out of the building on my way up. He looked plenty mad. What happened?"

"Oh, the worst. Koston and St. John had a falling out with each other, about St. John's human girlfriend."

"Oh yeah, the blond right. Beth something."

"One and the same. You know that she's still human. St. John has got some issue with turning her, all stems from himself if you ask me."

"True enough. It's silly, of course. But, it's not really any of our business."

"Maybe not, but Koston seems to think that it is. He told Mick that he was going to be turning Beth once this whole thing with the hunters blew over."

"So, you're telling me that Beth got tired of waiting and went her boyfriend's back to his best friend? Boy, that's harsh."

"Yeah, and you can imagine that St. John got plenty mad. Vamped out and everything. He even threatened to rip Josef's head off if he went anywhere near Beth. That got Koston on the defensive, of course. And he said that it really wasn't any of St. John's business if his girlfriend wanted to be turned, it was her choice after all."

"True, up to a point, I point." Said the other, "Bit if the reports are anything to be believed, St. John is pretty protective of Beth. Doesn't like anyone to get near her but him. Can't say I blame him. The way she smells, I wouldn't mind taking a bite out of her."

"Yeah, well, you can pretty much guess how the whole thing ended. St. John and the boos almost came to blows, and they both stormed out. I don't think they'll be speaking to each other for a while."

"That can't be good. Those two rely on each other to the point of being codependent. Especially right now with the hunters on the loose, it could be bad."

"Yeah, but what can you do? If our Elders behave like idiots, that's not much we can do about it, is there?"

The other agreed, and the conversation moved to other topics. They had no way of knowing that their entire conversation had been overheard. Louis and Charlie had both been listening to this conversation intently. Now, Louis nodded to his partner and they slipped out of the booth they had been sitting in. they quietly made their way out of the bar. They made no sound until they were in their car, and on the move. Only than did Louis take his phone from his pocket and say, "Scott, we have our opportunity to strike."

* * *

><p>At the lab, Scott smiled when he heard this. "Oh, really, do explain further."<p>

"We intercepted a conversation at one of the local vampire/human joints. Apparently, Koston and St. John had a pretty severe argument. From what we heard, it should be a few days until they are speaking again."

"Meaning that they will be vulnerable. Vampire psychology, it never fails you. We'll have to move in the next few days. Is everything in place?"

"Good, come to me as soon as you get back. I want to go over the last few details with you."

"Will do, Scott. Be there in ten minutes."

No sooner had Louis hung up, than Cory come into the room. "Dad, we have to talk."

"Cory, of course. My door is always open to you. What did you want to know?"

"Is it true that you kidnapped Simone?"

"Who told you that?"

"One of the guards who was there? Dad, it can't be true."

"I'm afraid that it is."

Cory was utterly aghast. "Dad, why? What could Simone possibly do that would hurt you."

"It's not really any of your concern."

"Dad, Simone practically helped raise me. She was like my sister. How could you do that to her?"

"Cory, let me explain-"

"And why didn't you tell me?"

"Cory, I had no choice. Simone is employed by Josef Koston."

Cory was stunned. "What? You mean that vampire you were trying to kill?"

"Yes, she is one of his lawyers, and my reports even say that she was one of his feeders. I know it's hard for you to understand, but I had to make her see that she was only headed down a path of self-destruction sometimes, force is the only way to make people see that."

"But why didn't you tell me. I could have come with you. Maybe if I had been with you, I would have been able to convince her."

"Cory, I have a feeling that your presence would only have exacerbated my difficulties. I'm sure that Simone doesn't approve of the fact that you have taken up the family calling. She would have tried to convince that the truth I have told you is a lie. Believe me, Cory, it was be necessary that you weren't aware of it. It would have been my personal preference that you never found out about it."

"But, Dad-"

"Listen to me, Please, Cory. I know that this whole thing is difficult for you to understand. You have not been raised in the family way as you should have, and for that I am sorry. It is my fault that you are not ready for this. I should have fought harder to have you in my life, raised properly."

"You mean that Simone's family didn't do a good job of raising me?" said Cory, not really liking what his father was implying.

"They certainly did an adequate job of it. I preferred that you were at least with family as opposed to being shuffled around in the foster care system. But I do begin to wonder if there were some things that they left out, which I could have instilled in you. Don't worry, Cory, everything will start to become clear. I am truly sorry if I caused you pain with this incident. I can assure you that I never meant Simone any harm. If she keeps out of this, as I'm sure her wisdom will direct her, there will no further need to see her again."

"Oh, okay." Said Cory, who was really too overwhelmed to say anything else. He desperately wanted to believe his father, but this latest incident only added to his growing uncertainty about the future which he was heading into. He was getting the distinct impression that his father was lying to him, or at least twisting the truth. He had an uneasy feeling that he would hurt Simone if he needed to, and that Scott was also implying that he never wanted Cory to have any contact with the family who had raised him.

Lately, as his father's acts of violence had become more frequent, Cory had actually been along for the ride. Though Scott still told him he couldn't be in the thick of the battles yet, he should remain in the van and observe, so that he could soon participate in the kills. But Cory was finding himself not at all thrilled or enthused by the chase. He could hardly stand the sight of so much bloodshed. It was all he could do to keep from vomiting in the car, though there was nothing that was keeping him from doing so in the privacy of his own room.

He could not confide any of his doubts to his father. He had a feeling that he would not listen or simply brush them off. More and more, the battle between his desire to emulate his father and the way which his words and actions made him feel was one he was beginning to feel that he could not win.

"So, are we all right, then?" asked Scott, who was oblivious to Cory's uncertainties.

"What? Oh, yeah, I guess. Just tell me the next time that you're going to do something like this. I don't want anything to happen to Simone."

"Don't worry, Cory. You shall not be left in the dark on such thing again. Now, I want you to wait here. Louis will be here soon. A new phase of the hunt has begun, and it is one that I have been planning for a very long time."

* * *

><p>Please, read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Mick mopes (well, yeah, he does that a lot in the series), and Beth confronts him about his argument with Josef. Leave it to the women folk to pound some sense into their men, right? But, things are only about to get worse in Los Angeles. Kenderick's acts of evil have only just begun.


	16. Divide and Conquer

I should warn everyone that the chapters become pretty dark here on out for awhile. So, be warned.

Divide and Conquer:

Mick St. John was not having a good day. In fact, it had been a fairly rotten last few days. Ever since his fight with Josef, he had been walking around in a dark mood. He knew that he had been snappy and irritable, and that even Beth was finding it difficult to be around him. But, he really couldn't help it. He still couldn't get over the fact that Beth and Josef had gone behind his back. The two people that he trusted the most had betrayed him. They both knew his position on turning, and though he was starting to feel a little more at peace with the idea of being a vampire, he still felt that he needed time. He had thought that Beth and Josef understood that. Apparently, they didn't.

However, when it came to Beth, Mick had underestimated her yet again. Beth had never been one to simply let things fester between them. She was willing to give Mick his space when he was in one of his moods, so long as she knew what the matter was. If she happened to find out something, though, and if that something happened to be of a nature which Beth knew Mick wouldn't talk about unless he forced it out of him, she would not back down.

So, a few days after Josef's fight, when Mick was in his office, Beth strode in without knocking and said with no preamble, "Mick, did you honestly think that Josef was going to turn me behind your back?"

Mick looked up at her, slightly stupefied. "What?"

"Karlie just called me. She told me that she managed to wrangle out of Josef what you two fought about the other day. Mick, I can't believe that you said those things to Josef. Did you really tell him that he was a traitor?"

"Well, I might have said something along those lines, yes." Said Mick, suddenly feeling a little backed into a corner under Beth's assault.

"And did he actually say that you probably wouldn't make a good sire for me because of your paranoid dramatics?"

"Yeah, but he also-"

"Mick, I don't want to hear about it. Do you have any idea how immature the two of you sound? I may not be a vampire, but I know that the rest of the vampires in this community depend on you two for some sense of stability. How do you think this will affect the morale of the city which is right now crawling with hunters?"

"You think that I wanted to say any of those things?" said Mick, who was by this time feeling some of the anger against Beth and Josef (mostly Josef) come back. "How do you think I felt when I found out that you had lost confidence in me?"

"What?" said Beth, in disbelief.

"You got tired of waiting for me, so you went to Josef. He was just going to turn you without telling me. Did you think that I would be okay with that, that I would just give my approval without any hesitation?"

"Mick, I never asked Josef to turn me behind your back."

"But he said-"

"You heard what you wanted to hear. Josef did offer to turn me, but he and I never made any plans to turn me. I still was willing to wait for you, but right now, I'm beginning to question the fitness of both you and Josef as sires if you get carried away by such petty arguments."

Mick suddenly felt very foolish. Beth wasn't lying to him, he could plainly see it. He realized that he had made a mistake. His mind had leaped immediately to the most terrible outcome. He had thought the worst because Coraline had taught him to expect no less. However, he should have expected better of Beth and Josef. They had both proved themselves as his family. They really had deserved better. "Beth, I-I am sorry."

"You had better be sorry." Said Beth, who wasn't quite ready to forgive Mick just yet, "And should so Josef. He shouldn't have said those things about you. It's driven a wedge between the two of you when right now you should be united. Do you know how Kenderick works with his hunts? He learns everything that he can about the command structure of the city that he's targeting, and then he sets about dismantling it bit by bit. He divides and conquerors. That's what he's trying to do right now. He'll try to take advantage of this, and strike in such a way that it will tear this city apart."

Mick had never really thought of it that way. But it was true. He and Josef should have been able to look past their personal disagreements, and taken down the threat of Scott Kenderick together. The current situation was bigger than any of them. However, he still had to admit that there one thing which was bothering him. "Would you have let him turn you?"

"What?"

"Josef, would you have accepted his offer?"

Beth crossed her arms and stared at him for a moment. "Honestly, I don't know. Mick, I can't lie. I've made my choice; I've made up my mind a few months ago. I don't know how long I am willing to wait for you to make your mind. But I still want you to be the one who turns me."

Mick sighed and rubbed his eyes in obvious frustration. He had been putting this off for far too long. He knew that the time was fast approaching when he would have to make a definite choice. He knew that he couldn't stand in the way of Beth becoming a vampire. This latest conversation meant that she was more than willing to make the choice herself. It was her choice, even if he didn't like it. The only question was,\ could he bring himself to put aside the painful memories of his own turning, in order to be the sire that Beth deserved. "Then I suppose the ball will be in my court right now."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Beth walked over and kissed Mick on the cheek, a small sign that they had said all they needed to say. That was one of the strengths of their relationship. They did fight, but once they both knew where the other stood, they said no more about it. "Right now, you need to call Josef, mend this fight."

"All right, since I know that you won't leave me alone until I do."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than his phone buzzed, indicating that he had a text message. "Speak of the devil, it's from Josef." He said.

**Come to the office. Be there in fifteen minutes.**

"Sounds like Karlie got through to Josef." Said Beth.

Mick looked at her with a smile. "You were both trying to get through to us, weren't you?"

"Do you blame us when we have you to take care of?" said Beth.

"I guess not." Said Mick. "Besides, this text doesn't sound like a mere invitation. Josef obviously wants to speak with us. Come on, we'd better get going."

* * *

><p>Josef Koston had had an earful that night. Karlie had gotten after him for the fight he had had with Mick. He regretted that the things had come to such a head with him. He had said things to his best friend that he had no right too. Especially considering how much Mick was going through, how much he had gone through, he should have known better than to say that he could never be a proper sire, when in reality, he knew that the opposite was true. He didn't necessarily regret his offer to turn Beth, and if she asked him, he would still do it. However, despite what he might say, Mick deserved a chance to prove to himself that he could overcome his past and do what needed to be done.<p>

As an Elder, it should have been him who was in control of his emotions. Instead, he had been the first one to vamp out, and that had only caused Mick to lose control. It was a miracle that the two of them had not come to blows. The fact that he was under an enormous amount of pressure from the situation with the hunters was really no excuse. He should be a leader right now, not an uncontrollable fledgling.

Karlie had reminded him of that, in no uncertain terms. No doubt she and Beth were coordinating a double front attack on the two of them right now. It was probably for the best. Both he and Mick could be incredibly stubborn, and if it were left up to them, it would have been a very long time before they had tried to patch up the quarrel. As it was, he was trying to figure out the best way to approach Mick, whether a call or a text would be better. Either way, it should be face to face that their reunion was made. After all, they really need to get this behind them, and focus on the real problem at hand….

Josef suddenly froze in his pacing, and all thoughts of Mick left his mind. His heart had just been stabbed by a phantom pain, the type of pain that came from a stake. Only it wasn't his heart that had been staked, it was Karlie. Through the bond that they shared, he sensed that Karlie had just stumbled into a trap, and she was now in terrible danger.

Josef would later remember those twenty minutes when he frantically tried to call Karlie and received no answer as the longest of his existence. The worst thing was that he already had an idea of what had happened. Kenderick's attacks had been bolder ever since Simone had left, and he should have known that at some point, he would try to finish the work that his father had started. But he didn't want to believe that, and he kept trying to tell himself that it must be something else.

But all doubts were finally laid to rest when his phone rang, and seeing that it was Karlie, he answered it without a second thought. "Karlie, are you all right?"

"Hello, Josef." Josef's blood ran cold. Scott Kenderick sounded entirely to smug and triumphant for him to have done anything but succeed.

"Kenderick," he growled, "Where's Karlie? What have you done with her?"

"Be grateful that I haven't done more to her than she deserved. But she is alive."

"I want to talk to her."

"I figured you would." He must have taken the phone away from his ear and held it up to Karlie, because Josef heard him mockingly say to her, "Go on, Mrs. Koston. I'm sure that your husband is worried about you."

He heard Karlie hiss in anger. "Karlie, don't do anything to antagonize them."

"I would listen to him, Mrs. Koston. Neither of you are exactly in a position to negotiate."

"Karlie, are you all right?"

A moment of silence, before she said, in a tight voice, "I'm all right, Josef. They just staked me on the way out from work, and now they have me in silver chains."

"Tell him where you are, Mrs. Koston." Scott demanded.

"We're in the parking garage right outside of Koston industries." Said Karlie, almost reluctantly.

"What?" Josef was stunned, Scott Kenderick was a hunter. He wouldn't have been stupid enough to come this close to a vampire stronghold. "You're bolder than your father Kenderick, that much I'll say for you. How do you know that I won't call my men out to your location?"

"But you won't. Because the very second that I hear someone coming, I'll be putting a silver bullet in your wife's head. If I'm not mistaken, that will kill you vampires instantly."

Karlie shouted. "Josef, don't listen to them, don't come out!"

Josef heard one of the men who were presumably guarding her bark something, and then he heard her cry out briefly in pain. He drew a sharp breath as he felt the ghostly echo of the silver burning over his right shoulder. He gripped the phone tighter, restraining himself from reacting with rage. It would be a useless waste of energy.

"Those silver stakes can leave a nasty burn." said Scott, with cold amusement. "She'll be getting a lot more of those in the next few minutes if you don't follow my instructions."

"And what do you want me to do?"

"You have fifteen minutes, Koston. I want you to come to the top floor of the parking garage, the southwest corner. That's where you'll find us. You'll come alone and unarmed. Once you show up and exchange yourself for Karlie, everything will be all right."

"How do I know that you won't try and kill her if I do show up?"

"Well, you really don't, do you? However, you also know my methods. Why would I want to hold onto Karlie when it's you I want more? And besides, you do know what will happen if you don't come. Fifteen minutes, Koston. The clock is ticking."

The line abruptly went dead. Josef was left with nothing but the terrible silence which followed the call. He felt numb, cold, backed into a corner. That was not a place he liked being, and any other situation he would have gone down fighting tooth and nail. But, this was completely different. This time, Karlie was the one in danger.

The instincts of bonded pairs were incredibly strong. They would literally go to any lengths in order to preserve the safety of their respective partners. Already, Josef could feel the trembling of Karlie's fear and he had to restrain himself from jumping up and saving her. But he had forced himself to think like an Elder, as well as a bond mate. The two instincts were at war with each other, but at the same time, he knew what he had to do.

There could be no compromising Karlie's safety. He could never gamble with one half of his soul. But he couldn't risk the safety of the LA tribe by leaving them without a leader. But, then again, Scott Kenderick had given him fifteen minutes. And he had perhaps underestimated just how much a dedicated vampire could do in that time.

* * *

><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: A disaster descends upon LA, when Josef is forced to put himself into the hands of his most deadly enemy, to save the woman he loves. However, when he refuses to attack the son of that enemy, it begins to plant seeds of doubt into the mind of young Cory Reeves if what his father is doing is really the noble mission that he claims it to be.


	17. Sacrificing All

You are all going to hate me. But, trust me, it had to be done.

Sacrificing All:

The parking garage was eerily quiet. As Josef went to the appointed meeting place, he had no difficulty in finding the place where Scott Kenderick was waiting for him. There were four guards along with Scott Kenderick and Karlie, who was standing with one of the guards flanking her. He could also smell two other people waiting in the van.

"Ah, Koston." Said Scott, "Right on time. I appreciate you being so prompt."

Josef looked over the entire situation, taking in all the variables in one glance, hoping that he was doing this the right way. "I have to admit that I didn't think you would be showing up, I know how much you vampires supposedly care about your mates."

Josef tensed, but managed to keep himself calm. This all depended on Scott not suspecting anything. "Yes, but I'm here now. I want to see Karlie."

Kenderick stared long and hard at Josef, before he said to the man who was apparently guarding her. "Bring her." The man hauled Karlie up to her feet, and she hissed in pain when the silver hand cuffs that were around her wrists seared into her skin. "No tricks, Koston. I told you to come unarmed. I also want none of that sub hearing crap that you vampires are so effective at. Just keep yourself where I can see you, and no funny business, or Karlie will die."

Josef kept his eyes on Karlie, and though he didn't say anything to her, Kenderick had underestimated just how well vampires could communicate even by nonverbal means. Josef's eyes were moving, even Karlie was shoved forward by the guard. She met his gaze, and in the space of only a few seconds, she understood what his plan was.

Karlie was shoved forward up to Josef, where he could both see and smell that she was unharmed, if shaken up and burned with silver. "Well, you've seen her, Koston. Now, it's time to live up to your end of the bargain."

"Of course, perhaps you were forgetting one thing about this little agreement."

"Oh really, and what would that?"

"I'm not armed, but your guard is."

With one swift movement, Josef stepped forward and slammed his fist into the guard's stomach. The impact of the blow was enough to bruise several of the man's ribs, causing him to double over in pain. Josef grabbed hold of the guard's gun, and fired off a few rounds at Kenderick and the rest of his men. They all ducked, as Kenderick told them all to get under cover behind the van. This gave Josef enough time to grab Karlie, and race for the exit. However, they only managed to gain a few yard before shots of silver rang out behind them. Josef pulled her behind one of the few cars still parked in the lot.

"Josef, what are we going to do?" asked Karlie, clearly panicked, "We can't hold out against them, not for long?"

"First, we need to get those cuffs off you."

Josef had worn gloves, knowing that he would need some form of protection against the burning of the silver. He took hold of Karlie's wrists and shattered the silver, which was as weak as any other metal to vampire strength if the effects could be overcome.

Josef caressed the open sores on her wrists. "They'll take some time to heal. You'll need blood soon if you're going to get better."

"We'll worry about that once we get out of here."

Josef didn't answer. He merely stared at her, his eyes grim, but determined. He knew that he and Karlie were trapped. Kenderick's men had them outnumbered and outgunned. He would simply maneuver around them until he could take them both out. The two of them wouldn't be getting out of this. Only one of them would.

"Not we, Karlie, you."

Karlie stared at Josef in shock, horrified as the full force of what he was suggesting became clear to her. "Josef, no, no."

"I'm going to try and draw their fire." Said Josef, trying to ignore the desperation that he heard in her voice, nor the way that it made him want to tear his heart out. He had to stay focused on the plan. "When I tell you, start running for the exit, and don't stop till your safe inside Koston Industries."

"Josef, no." She grabbed him by the shoulders, and said, in a stubborn manner. "I'm not leaving you here to face this alone."

Karlie's obstinacy may have been well intentioned. Her first instinct when someone she loved was in danger was to run towards danger, not away from it. But it caused Josef to snap. Here he was trying to help her live, and she was deliberately defying him. He was older than she was, he was her Elder, and moreover, her sire. She should be listening to him, not questioning his orders.

A growl rose in his throat and his eyes suddenly blazed silver. He grabbed Karlie's wrist and wrenched it free of his shoulder. Karlie was stunned by the move, more so when she felt his age and authority bearing down on her. She had never felt all of his power in his years aimed directly at her, and she cringed at the weight of it, how it sucked dry her desire to fight him and compel her to obey whatever he told her. Somewhere deep down, Josef knew that he was hurting her. He hated to d it, but it was the only chance that he had of saving her. "Karlie, stop arguing and do as I tell you." He snarled, darkly, before shoving her away from him. She was thrown back several feet, landing heavily on her side.

Gasping, she raised herself up, only to see that Josef was looking at her, not in the hard, cold way he had been only moments before, but with heartbreak and desperation. "Karlie," he said, his voice pleading, "Go, please."

One last moment, beautiful in its aching tenderness, terrible in its inevitable final outcome, Karlie and Josef looked at each other, drunk each other in with every sense they had. They were trying to imprint this final moment into their memories, before they were torn from each other, for how long, they could not tell. Then, Josef's eyes flew away from hers; he turned back to the van, and began firing, dashing off into the labyrinthine tunnels of the parking garage. Karlie did not wait or even pause to think. She flew to her feet and began to run, propelled by the last command and final plea of the man she loved.

* * *

><p>When Josef broke through their lines, Scott Kenderick cursed with anger. He should have seen this coming, should have been able to anticipate another vampire trick. It just proved that no matter how many times one went against vampires, one could never underestimate them.<p>

He started yelling orders. "Frank, get after Karlie Dashwood. Get her if you can. The rest of you spread out, form a gird. I don't want Koston escaping. Apprehend him at all costs."

The men began running to carry out Kenderick's orders. He was about to join them, when he heard his son's voice at his side. "Dad, what's going on?"

"Koston managed to save his wife." Kenderick spat, in obvious disappointment that the trap somehow hadn't been able to work. "Now he's on the run. Don't worry; we'll get him before he can escape."

"What about that Karlie woman?"

"We may not be able to get to her. She escaped, but I'll be sure to kill her at some point, and I'll make sure that it's as slow and painful as that I have planned for Koston."

Despite himself, Cory blanched inwardly. "Dad, what are you talking about? I thought that you were just going to take care of him here. Wouldn't that be enough?" Truthfully, Cory hadn't even been sure that he could stand to witness the killing of another person. He had barely been able to stomach his father torturing Karlie, however necessary it might have been to lure Koston out to Scott's clutches.

But now, his father was speaking of something that seemed entirely different to him. Indeed, he looked far different than Cory had ever seen him. He had a wild, almost obsessed look in his eyes, and there was such a terrible look of hatred on his face that for a moment, Cory wondered if he should not be afraid of him. "Don't try to argue with me, Cory." He growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I have been waiting for this moment for twenty-five years and nothing will stop me from getting my revenge, least of all vampire trickery."

His tone softened for just a moment, as he put a hand on Cory's shoulder. "You'll understand soon, Cory. Just stay here and keep safe. I'll take care of everything."

Cory suddenly found himself all alone in the night darkened shadows of the garage. Even the driver of the van had raced off to try and strike down Koston. Cory felt strangely alone, and as the silence grew around him, he began to feel frightened as well. Every shadow seemed to take on the persona of a monster that was creeping closer to get him in its clutches. All the horror stories of vampires he had ever heard came into his mind, and he began to wonder might happen to him, on his own and with no protection. What if this vampire caught him unawares and ripped him apart? Vampires were supposed to be able to do that, weren't they?

Cory found himself turning around and around, listening for anything. However, all his efforts at trying to be aware of his surroundings proved to be useless in the end. He turned at the feeling of two eyes staring into the back of his head, and he froze in terror when he saw none other than Josef Koston perched on top of the van.

For several seconds, neither of them moved, merely locking gazes in an intense stare. Cory could not fathom him. Though the vampire seemed to have the look of a predator in his eyes and movements, he didn't spring to attack, just remained as still as a statue. In fact, Cory almost though he seemed slightly wary of him. That was irony in itself. Cory knew that he was no threat to him. If the vampire chose to attack, he would be defenseless.

But, as the moments passed, and still neither of them made any move, Cory would begin to find the seeds of doubt planted in his mind. Josef not acting on his first instinct to attack would be what would one day save his life.

Finally, Josef broke the silence. "Aren't you going to shoot me?"

The question caught Cory completely off-guard, "What?"

"Aren't you going to shoot me?" Josef rose and jumped down from the van roof, right in front of Cory. "That's what you hunters are supposed to do, isn't it?"

Cory gulped, trying to keep his hands from trembling. "What makes you I could shoot you? You've got a gun too. You would probably be able to shoot me before I even reached for mine."

Josef stared at Cory, before reaching into his coat and withdrawing the gun that he had taken from Scott's follower. He threw it away. "Out of ammo." He said, simply, "You could shoot me quite easily."

Cory reached for his own weapon, but obviously with a great deal of hesitation. "What about your strength, your speed? Couldn't you just kill me?"

"That seems like an awful lot of trouble, doesn't it?" said Josef, with a shrug. "I'm the source of all your troubles. Shoot me, and you would make your father incredibly proud."

Cory had drawn his gun, and was trying to raise it into position, just like Louis had taught him. But he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Josef cocked his head, as though he were merely observing something particularly fascinating to him. "You can't do it, can you? Interesting. I thought you would kill me without a second thought. That's what you hunters do, isn't it?"

Cory shook his head uncertainty plaguing him. "I-I don't know. I thought that you would kill me."

"Why would I want to kill you? I have no quarrel with you."

"But vampires are supposed to-"

"Well, it seems like you still have a lot to learn about vampires."

For a moment longer, another stare passed between them, and in that moment, Cory truly doubted for the first time the justice of his father's cause. But a moment was all that they had. The next thing Cory was aware of, he was surrounded by Scott's men, all of whom were slapping him on the back, and congratulating him for facing down the vampire. Scott was among them. He hugged his son tightly, the pride evident in his eyes "Well done, Cory. I knew that you had it in you. We'll make a hunter out of you, yet."

Cory blinked, slightly confused. "What? But, dad, I didn't do anything?"

"You may not have used your weapon, but still you kept him at bay, with talking and distracted him. That takes skill, and you used it wonderfully." Cory wasn't sure how to respond to this. He couldn't help but feel the hollowness of the phrase, when he knew the truth behind it. Scott did not give him a chance to respond, however. He turned backed to Josef, who was being cuffed tightly with silver. "So, Koston, did you honestly think that I would let you kill my son as easily as you killed my father?"

Josef was eerily calm. He neither lashed out in anger nor reacted in fear. He didn't seem to care that he was in Scott's custody. Karlie was safe, that was all that mattered. "I don't think your son is worth my time or effort." He said, "You certainly haven't trained him very well."

Scott glared at Josef. "That he is inexperienced, I will grant. And yet, you are the one in chains."

"Perhaps, but it wasn't because your son planned it that way."

Scott came forward and grabbed Josef by the throat, slamming him hard against the side of the van. "Enough of your charming tongue, Koston. I have you now, and I can promise you that I will have you begging for death before I am done with you."

* * *

><p>So, Josef is now in the clutches of Scott Kenderick. I did say that there would be dark portions of this story. This is, unfortunately, only the beginning. But, please bare with me. You may now convene to the review board to say how much you hate me.<p>

Next chapter: In the wake of this shattering development, Josef's friends are going to find themselves following his last orders. A new Elder must take charge of the city, as emergency powers are invoked.


	18. Emergency Powers

Emergency Powers:

When Beth and Mick arrived at Koston Industries, they were somewhat surprised to see that Carlisle was just about to enter the building. "Carlisle, what are you doing here?"

Carlisle shrugged, "Search me. I got a pretty cryptic text from Josef telling me to be here at about this time."

"So did we." Said Mick, "He didn't say anything else in his message."

"No, I've been trying to reach him, but he's not answering his cell phone."

"Something serious must have happened, otherwise he shouldn't have ignore his phone." said Beth, "He probably found out something that he doesn't feel comfortable saying over the phone."

"Well, we're not finding out anything standing here. we had better-" Carlisle suddenly stopped, and turned to face the direction of the parking garage, his senses somehow put on alert by what he had heard coming from that direction.

Mick heard it as well, and turned in the same direction. "What is it?" Beth asked.

"Gun shots, from the parking garage." Said Carlisle, beginning to move in that direction, "And a vampire heading this way, along with a human."

"Karlie." said Mick, as the two vampires began to run to the garage, Beth following closely behind.

When they came to the view of the street, they all were stunned by what they witnessed. Karlie was running for her life, the hunter had managed to keep up with her. Vampires were faster than humans, but hunters were also faster than most humans. They trained on their speed and stamina, to the point where a chase over short distances in enclosed circumstances, there was a very good chance that the hunter would be the equal of the vampire. Plus, Karlie was injured, the traces of silver still racing through her system, slowing her normal reaction time.

The hunter had tried to fire off a few rounds, and Karlie had barely been able to dodge them. Her head was spinning with conflicting emotions: rage that the hunters had taken Josef from her, terror at what they had planned, guilt that she hadn't even tried to stop them. Suddenly, she cried out in pain and stumbled, falling heavily to the pavement. At that very moment, she had felt a stake entering Josef's heart, which meant that he had been captured by Kenderick.

"We have to go and help her." said Beth, starting forward, but Mick held her back, sensing what was to come.

"Beth, no. stay out of it."

Mick had been wise, for Karlie was seeing red. She couldn't help Josef, she couldn't destroy Kenderick, but she had to make someone pay. When she heard the running of the hunter from behind her, all of her sense became focused on killing him.

Her eyes blazed silver and her fans became unleashed as her inner vampire seized control of her actions. At the right moment, she turned like lightening, grabbing the unfortunate hunter by the throat, she let loose a piercing screech that sent shivers Beth's spine. She latched onto the hunter's throat, and began to drain him. This was no painless death. Vampires could determine how those humans who provided them with blood would feel, whether they would be willing donors, or victims. And when humans were victims, it was the feeling of cold, sharp ice racing through the veins, the victim literally left with the helpless feeling of his life being drained away and being unable to do anything about it.

It was a terrible way to die, not one that would Karlie would have been responsible for under normal circumstances. But right then, she didn't care about mercy. She just wanted to kill him, and the dark predator that resides within every vampire thrilled to taste the terror in the hunter's blood, and hearing his agonized screams, from their highest pitch, to the final guttering gasp into silence.

Once he was dead, she tossed the managed body aside. But she didn't get to her feet or move away. She remained kneeling on the ground, rocking back and fourth, as silent sobs racked her body. Josef was gone, he was just gone. She could still feel him, but it was a distant, flickering candle instead of the strong burning flame that was so much a part of her life force. She knew that meant he was beyond her reach. Any chance of rescuing him was gone.

She didn't stir until she felt Mick's hand on her shoulder, helping her to her feet. She turned to face him, and the compassion in his eyes made her break down even more. She collapsed against Mick, and began crying into his chest. "Oh, Mick," She managed to gap out brokenly, "They took Josef. He came to rescue me. He told me to leave. I couldn't save him."

"Easy, Karlie, easy." Said Mick, soothingly, "There was nothing that you could have done. It's not your fault. You know that Josef wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

"Is there anyway we could rescue him?" Beth asked.

"We can try and track them down." said Carlisle, "And I'll make sure that security canvasses this entire area. But, hunters like Kenderick are clever. He would have to dared to come this close to a vampire stronghold if he didn't have a solid exit strategy. I'm sure that he is long one by now."

There was a steady calm in Carlisle's voice, and in the present moment of crisis, all of them turned to him for some form of guidance. "Karlie, we must see to your first. You've been dealt some sever silver burns that I need to treat. Come on; let's get to Josef's office. That will be as good a place as any to regroup."

* * *

><p>Josef's security was some of the best and most highly trained in the business. Once they received orders, they carried them out quickly and efficiently. When Carlisle told them the circumstance of the last few hours, they immediately moved to establish a perimeter. Koston Industries had probably become one of the safest places to be in LA once that happened. They entered Josef's office, and even as they did so, his computers stared beeping. All eyes turned at the device on Josef's desk, which was open and facing the doorway.<p>

"What's that?" asked Mick.

"It's Josef's alarm system." Said Karlie, "When he comes in each evening, he likes to be alerted at once if something happens. He set up the alarm on his computer to go off automatically if he had any word from any of his business partners."

"Josef must have intended for us to receive a message." Said Mick, "Which means he knew that he would be taken. Karlie, do you know how to access that message?"

"Yes, I believe I do." Karlie went over to the computer and typed in Josef's password. Immediately, instead of going to the home screen, a video image appeared. If was Josef, obviously recorded only a few seconds before, given his worried face and clearly agitated demeanor.

"He was pressed for time." said Mick, observing the way that Josef began to speak. "He's speaking faster than humans are able to keep up with. Karlie, would you slow it down."

Karlie pressed a few more keys, and Josef's speech now became a more intelligible. "Mick, Carlisle, I'm hoping that you'll never have to see this. Unfortunately, I think that my aptitude for paranoia might be justified this time, so I'm afraid that that won't be the case. I won't go into the details. By this time, you already know that Scott Kenderick had taken me captive. I'm recording this so that you'll have a record no one can dispute. As of this moment, I'm evoking emergency powers for the city of Los Angeles."

"Emergency powers?" asked Beth, "What does that mean?"

"It means that during a time of extreme crisis, there are certain procedures which only an Elder can make use of." Said Mick, "One of those is that he can appoint his own sire without having to call an election council.'

Josef's message continued. "At this moment, LA is without an Elder during a time when a hunter is on the loose. This is a state of affairs that cannot continue. For the good of my city, I'm going to have to name someone in my place. That's why I wanted both of you here. Carlisle, as of right now, until such a time as I can relive you, you are the Elder of Los Angeles, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof."

Carlisle stared at the screen, an unreadable expression on his face. He had gained Josef's trust over the past year, but not even he could have suspected that Josef would have entrusted him with something like this.

"And don't start with all that humility nonsense. You deserve this, Carlisle. You've more then proven yourself, and I think that I'm leaving the city in good hands."

Carlisle silently vowed that he would not let Josef down.

"Mick, no offense against you. I might have chosen you for the position, but you don't have the experience, yet. You've got everything else, though. Give it a couple centuries, and you'll leading your own city through this kind crisis. But until then, I'm counting on your to help Carlisle as much as you do me. Listen to him and try to do what he tells you, unless you have a better idea." His face than became tender, and when he next spoke, it was clearly too only one person in the room, and no one else mattered. "Karlie, sweetheart, this isn't the end. I promise you." With that last heartbreaking look, the screen went black.

A silence descended on the room. Karlie had started to cry again, and Beth was doing her best to comfort her. That left Mick and Carlisle to realize the true import of Josef's message. Mick looked at Carlisle, only to see that the older vampire seemed to have grown in a way that he couldn't explain. In a situation that could have been spiraling out of control, Carlisle was the center of the storm, and his authority was almost as powerful as that of Josef. Mick knew that Josef had made the right choice. He wouldn't let his best friend down. He would follow Carlisle as willingly as he would follow Josef.

"What's your plan, then?" he asked.

Carlisle looked at Mick, and said without hesitation. "We get ready, and we fight back."

* * *

><p>So, there you have it. Carlisle is the new leader of Los Angeles. I can't promise that things are going to get better anytime soon. But for right now, please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Josef begins his ordeal at the hands of Scott. But Cory is begining to have major doubts that he can no longer ignore. What path will he choose, the ways of his father or the way of mercy?


	19. Uncertainty

And so we continue with the dark and depressing stuff. I should warn people that's going to be continuing for awhile. But please have faith, it will all come out all right in the end.

Uncertainty:

Josef regained consciousness slowly. He was aware first and foremost of two things, the first was that his head ached. It felt as though all of his sense were clouded by an outside force that he couldn't control, rendering weak and powerless. It was by no means a sensation that he enjoyed. However, by no means a sensation that he enjoyed. However, this weakening of his senses did not render him utter to a far more deadly and troubling sensation. It was blistering, dry, glaringly hot. Tentatively, Josef opened his eyes, and a blinding white light pierced his sight. He didn't know how long he had lain in this environment, but it felt like a very long time. He felt weak, beaten, like every limb weighed ten pounds more then is should have. He also felt thirsty, very thirsty. This was not a good state of affairs for a vampire to find himself in. but Josef did not think that relief would be going any time soon.

"Well, you've finally woken up."

Josef groggily managed to turn his head away from the blinding light, which was something of a relief, and saw Scott Kenderick's face smiling grimly back at him. Despite his condition, Josef could still remember how he ad come to be a prisoner of Kenderick. He felt a growl rise from his throat. "I'm certain that you're not pleased to see me." said Kenderick, "However, trying to escape to get your hands around my neck wouldn't be a wise move. Do you see where you are?"

Josef managed to haul himself up to a sitting position. He was feeling slightly more in control of his sense, and he was now able to see that he was in a cell, with bare, grey walls made out of some sort of reflective metal that only seemed to intensify the heat. The forth wall was a sheet of thick glass. Through this glass, Josef could see Scott standing in front of the cell. In the background, he could make out Louis and Cory.

"I know what you're thinking." Said Scott, "The cell doesn't look strong enough to hold you. And you perhaps would be right. But I have had a great deal of experience containing vampires over the years, and I flatter myself that I seem to have perfected the design. If you attempt to break through of these walls or even so much a crack the glass, the entire cell will be flooded with fire. I think you would be turning to ask in oh, I'd say, ten seconds. But that is, of course, only a rough estimate."

Josef glared at Kenderick, but made no sound or reply. He had already said everything he wanted to say to Kenderick. He refused to fall for Kenderick's goadings.

"I know, I know, you have very little to say to me, for now. However, I can assure you, that will change. You see, I haven't killed you yet because you are an incredible wealth of information. One as old as yourself, prominently connected, I'm sure that you know many secrets which could be of use to a hunter like me. Tell them to me, and I can arrange for your death to be quick."

Josef looked at him contemptuously, before turning away and stalwartly looking to the other wall. If Kenderick actually thought that he would agree to those terms, he was grievously mistaken. He heard Kenderick sigh. "Oh, so we'll have to do this the hard way. I'm not really surprised."

Suddenly Josef's ears were ringing with a stabbing, shrill, high-pitched shriek which reverberated through the entire cell. Josef clutched his skull, his face contorting in anguish, as he fought against the pain in his head.

"Vampire hearing is nearly ten times more acute than that of humans." Kenderick's voice said above the noise. "Noises that we can't even hear are, to you, terrible pain. imagine this noise sounding nearly constantly in your cell. The heat, the noise, no blood. You won't be able to sleep, and I knew that your kind needs sleep as much as we do. I've seen greater vampires than you driven out of their minds by this combination; they are reduced to pitiful shells of their former strength. It will happen to you. It is only a matter of time. should you decide to talk, I will be waiting."

With that, Kenderick turned and walked away, leaving Josef to wrestle with an agony that he couldn't win against.

Cory had been more or less forced to match this display, held there by Louis, who seemed to think that baptism any fire was the only way to go. However, he had hardly been able to watch. The only thing that he felt was acute horror. How could his father stand there and torture another being? His father even seemed to be enjoying it. There was a look of twisted joy on his face. It seemed as though there was nothing else in the world that he wanted to do besides causing Josef pain. He had never seen his father like this. Cruel, angry, crazed with a terrible blood lust that couldn't be satisfied. Cory had known that he wanted revenge; just not like this. He came up to him as he was walking away. "Dad, what are you doing? Why are you doing this?"

Scott stopped and stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Dad, you're torturing him."

"What difference does it make? He has killed hundreds of humans including my father. I'm only making sure that he pays for it."

"But, he's not going to tell you anything, can't you see that? Wouldn't it be more merciful just to kill him?" Cory believed that even if Josef deserved to be killed, there was no reason to torture him so cruelly. This didn't seem at all like justice. It seemed to him, to be something much worse, something very dark.

Cory did not expect his father's reaction up until that time; Scott had been fairly patient with his son's inexperience. He had tried to take him on, to show him the business; he had accepted his relative inexperience. But, this was going too far. He turned on Cory, his eyes angry and cold. His voice a fierce snarl. "Mercy? You actually want me to show mercy to that creature? You can't be serious when you say that. You, my own son, who should know better?"

Cary backed up a step. He suddenly felt a real fear of his father, something he had never before experienced. "I'm… I'm just saying that it seems like a waste of time. What do you think you can gain by causing him pain?"

"Merely perhaps just the satisfaction of knowing that he is now going through what he inflicted upon my father twenty-five years ago."

For a brief second, Cory was so appalled that he forgot either all fear of what his father would say or fear of what he would think. It didn't matter to him who this Josef was or what he had done. This was wrong. He just knew it. "He's a living being, Dad. He may not be human, but he can clearly feel and function like anything else. You can't just hurt him like this. It's wrong, can't you see that?"

"Can't you see, Cory, that he's not a real creature at all? He's a monster, unfeeling, inhuman. He doesn't deserve mercy or compassion. After everything I've taught you, everything I've shown you, how can you still think of vampires in human terms?"

The speech was delivered with such acute venom and hatred tat Cory took yet another step back. He suddenly didn't know the person in front of him. His father's face was contorted into a mask that was utterly disturbing in its hate, but also a chilling joy at the thought of killing other vampires and causing them as much pain as possible. "They are a blight upon the earth, an abomination that must be eradicated. It must be the goal of every hunter to hunt them down, until there are none left. They must be made to suffer, to understand what happens to monsters like them, to make them feel what it is like to be small and powerless, just like the humans which they prey on."

Silence descended after Scott's fanatical rant. Cory was mutely trembling. He couldn't believe that he had just heard his father say such things. It destroyed whatever remaining illusions that Cory might have had about this father's cause. All surface illusions of noble humans fighting for the protection mankind against a force of darkness were rumored, and Cory was beginning to see what this whole thing was truly about.

For his own part, Scott seemed almost startled, as if he himself didn't realize that he had just lost control. "I-I am sorry, Cory. I shouldn't have raised my voice, to you least of all. I know that you can't understand everything. But you will eventually. But you do understand why I do this, don't you?"

Cory only nodded, fearful that if he said anything, it would only set Scott off again. However, Scott was wrong. He did understand. Cory understood clearer than he ever had before that there was a terrible darkness in his father, one that he may have hidden well, but which had consumed entirely. And in that moment, Cory knew that if he continued down this path, it would surely destroy him.

* * *

><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Trying to locate a way to rescue Josef, Karlie is almost unaware of what is happening to her own body and soul in the meantime. But, when it becomes apparent to all around her that she is suffering the same things as Josef, the stakes for both of their survival will rise.


	20. Drained of Life

Drained of Life:

It began with the small things. At first, Karlie did not think that they were serious, merely brought on her stress. But, it soon became evident that it was much, much worse. It had started by a nagging dryness in her throat, that didn't seem to go away no matter how much she drank. She then began to have terrible migraines, pain in her head that was aggravated by every little sound.

The heat began to get to her. No matter how cool the house temperature was, she always felt like it was just a little to warm. After a few days, she wasn't even able to tolerate being in the sunlight for more than a few minutes without it burning her skin.

The gnawing hunger in her stomach also began to grow sharper as the days passed. No matter how much she drank, she never could feel herself satisfied. She was not feeding live. With Josef's absence, she had been too stressed, and she knew that she stood a chance of hurting the donor. But that did not mean that she never felt the stirrings of that hunger. It was soon coming that sometimes, she would catch a whiff of that flowing blood and for just a split second, her control would slip, and she would be tempted to grab that unfortunate human and drain them. She was becoming that thirsty.

The final straw came when she began to heard the faint, but piercing sound ringing in her ears. It came and went, but always at random, at times that she could not expect. It was perhaps not damaging physically, but mentally, it took its toll. She became easily irritated and snappish, more so than the situation should have made her. And it began to show. Mick and Beth did, of course, try to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, they knew what she was going through. But it did not pass Carlisle's notice, and he soon saw enough to make him worried.

Carlisle was proving his skills as an Elder far beyond anyone's expectations. He had already taken Josef's defense system, and expanded it. So far, they had brought a dozen of Kenderick's men into custody. However, they all had proven to be intractable, refusing to say where their leader was. The humans didn't talk, that meant that they were dealing with a formidable opponent. There was little else that could be done with them except for killing them. But at last there were a dozen men that could not kill another vampire. If Kenderick had hoped that by taking captive Josef the vampire population of LA would lose all of it's will to fight, he was wrong. In fact, it only stiffened the resolve of the community to face this threat through to the end.

But Carlisle remained still a doctor, and one who was acutely aware of when something was going wrong. So, when he noticed that Karlie was beginning to act strangely. He soon knew that something needed to be done. So, he waited for a chance when they were alone, and said, "Karlie, when was the last time that you slept?"

Karlie shifted, a little uncertain. She knew that Carlisle was right. But, with all the things she had been experiencing, it had been difficult for her to be able to get any sleep. "I tried to sleep last night."

"And did you succeed in trying?" Karlie's silence spoke volumes. "Listen, Karlie, I know how worried you are about Josef. I can't say that I blame you, but working yourself to exhaustion in order to find him won't help matters, for yourself, least of all you. Get some rest tonight, at least twelve hours. If you're having any other problem after that, I might need you to stop your efforts for a few days."

"But, Carlisle, you can't ask me to give up this search."

"You're right. I could order you. I'm sorry, Karlie, but Josef put me in charge of this city. And I have to consider the well-being of the entire community. If you cannot help us because of your condition, you won't be able to help us."

"No, Carlisle. You're right. I won't be any use to Josef if I can't control my emotions. I'll do as you ask. Perhaps a little peace and quiet will do me good."

Carlisle watched her go, seeing things that she herself seemed completely unaware of. He knew that there was something that Karlie wasn't telling him. Most likely because she didn't know how serious they were. But he did. He had once observed this same sort of behavior in a vampire pair that was bonded, and who had also been forcibly separated. He knew how that incident had ended, but it wasn't going to end like that this time, not if he could help it.

He pulled out his phone and called Amanda. "Amanda, how far away are you?"

"I'm at your house, Carlisle. I've just managed to grab a little sleep. Being Head Cleaner while there's a hunter threat really can take a bite out of your schedule. I'll be there in twenty minutes to debrief."

"I want you to pick up the drug and bring it with you."

"The tranquilizer that you've been extracting from the garlic plants?"

"Yes, better bring twenty phials of it. I don't want to run out."

"That sounds like enough to bring down a hundred vamps. Carlisle, what happened?"

"Nothing yet. And I hope that my worries will prove to be unfounded. But I think that it will soon be needed."

* * *

><p>The next evening, Beth and Mick were both at the mansion, as they had been ever since Josef had been kidnapped. They had some important news, which Beth had managed to acquire through her contacts in the world of journalism. Karlie met them soon after they came in.<p>

"Hey, Karlie, we've got news." Said Beth.

"I hope its good news." Said Karlie, "That's something we all could use right now."

"I found out this morning that all use of Evampira is being suspended until further notice."

"What? You're kidding? That's Kenderick's life's work. Why would he stop it now when he thinks he's right on the verge of perfecting it?"

"Maybe he thinks he has enough vampires to continue refining it." said Mick, "Maybe he does have the formula perfected. Either way, it seems logical to assume that he might not be hunting anymore vampires for the next few days."

"I think it might also be that he now finds himself backed into a corner because he's lost half of his men." Said Beth, "He probably doesn't have the men to face down the vampires."

"And if it takes him a little while to plan his next move, we might be able to strike." Said Karlie, "That would be a good thing."

"Yeah, I'm just on my way to see Carlisle. Do you know where he is?"

"He should be in the den down the hall." Said Karlie, "He's probably up. I swear that man doesn't sleep since he became temporary Elder."

"Can't say I really blame him." said Mick, "I haven't really been sleeping all that much either."

As he left the two of them alone, Beth turned to Karlie, with a sympathetic smile. "How are you feeling?"

Karlie sighed and shook her head. She went over to the frozen decanter that was on the nearby counter. She didn't tell Beth that it was her second one that evening. "Not amazing. I've been feeling…" She paused, searching for the right words. "On edge. As though my sanity is hanging by a thread and the slightest jar will cause it to break."

She walked over to the window to look out over the city. "I have nightmares, Beth." She said, quietly, "Josef is locked, bound in some sort of cage. But he doesn't want me to rescue him, Beth. He's too frightened that the same thing will happen to me. He's suffering, Beth, I know it, he's dying, and I can't do anything for him."

Karlie's control had been steadily slipping as she had been speaking, and by the end, she had tears streaming down her face. Beth found herself a little astonished. Not once in the past week had she seen Karlie anything other than determined. Sad, yes, desperate to get Josef back safely, most definitely. But this was the first that she had seen her friend come completely unhinged. Had she been a vampire, she might have been able to sense that something dramatic had happened in the last twelve hours. Karlie still had not been able to sleep last night. The damnable ringing had been echoing in her head nearly all night. Hungry, exhausted and tormented by the feelings of Josef that were being transmitted through the bond, she was dangerously close to snapping. Beth didn't know that she was treading on dangerous ground.

Beth came forward and pulled her friend into a hug. "Don't worry, Karlie, everything will be all right. We'll get him back."

Karlie stiffened, and she unexpectedly pushed away from her. Her face was stormy and angry, but Beth didn't know if it was aimed at her. Karlie stalked away, her voice harsh and angry. "Will we, Beth, will we? How can I even hope that I'll be able to see him again? For all I know, he could already be beyond help. I have no idea where he is, and no idea where to even start looking. What's worse is I can't even get my hands on the filthy bastard who's responsible for all this. I swear when I come face to face with Scott Kenderick, I'll kill him, I'll tear him apart!"

Karlie voice had risen to a shriek, her inner vampire surging to the surface. She threw the glass of blood she had been holding at the far wall, shattering it. The force of the throw caused some of the shards to fly at Beth, who had to duck in order to avoid getting hit. She had no idea what was wrong with Karlie, only this was beyond her ability to control as a human. Not for the first time, she wished that she was a vampire, so that she could help her friend.

However, help arrived just in time. Mick and Carlisle had been alerted to the sudden eruption of chaos in the room, and they hurried into the room. They observed the scene before them, a half hysterical vamped-out Karlie and Beth trying to avoid her, but unwilling to leave. "Beth, what happened?" Asked Mick, as he saw Karlie still prowling the far end of the room, growling and shaking her head, as though trying to dislodge some terrible memory from her mind.

"I don't know." said Beth, "She just snapped. She was fine a few minutes ago."

Carlisle, however, knew exactly what was happening. "Mick, take Beth into the den. Didn't come back until I send for you."

"But-" said Beth.

"Beth, Karlie is delirious. This is a matter of medicine, and both of you can't help me. Please trust me."

"Come on, Beth." Said Mick, putting his arm around Beth waist, and guiding her gently to the door. "Carlisle knows what he's doing."

Beth reluctantly followed Mick's advice, leaving Karlie and Carlisle in the room. Carlisle turned to the hysterical Karlie and said gently, "Karlie, look at me."

Karlie stopped her mutterings and turned an almost hostile glance at Carlisle. The doctor could see a wild, feral light in her eyes. He was fairly certain that one part of Karlie did not know who he was. He would have to tread carefully. One wrong move and Karlie could quite possibly attack him. In her weakened state, Carlisle knew that he couldn't allow her to become aggressive. The extra stimulation would most likely only worsen her condition. "Karlie, listen to me, you are not in any danger from me. I know how troubled you are by Josef, but driving yourself to distraction is not going to help him or you. Listen to my voice. Try and come back."

For several moments, Karlie seemed to struggle to get control of her inner predator. And when her eyes cleared, she stumbled back and sank to the floor, the exhaustion which had been dogging her for the past few weeks finally asserted itself. Carlisle came over to her and knelt by her shoulder, and already he could feel the heat rising from her skin, and her pulse was racing. She was also trembling violently. "Karlie," she said, "You're not well. What's going on?"

Karlie shook her head and tried to get control of herself, with limited success. She had never felt like this, so completely and utterly out of control. It frightened her. "I don't know what's been happening to me, Carlisle. I can't sleep, I tried, but I can't. I'm always thirsty. I can't get enough to drink, no matter how much blood I take. The heat, it's always there, festering just below my skin. And the ringing…" she suddenly shot her eyes tightly, and griped her head in her hands. "Oh God, no. it's coming back."

"What is this ringing, Karlie? Describe it to me?"

"It's loud, so loud. Humans can't wear it, but it's there right now, blaring inside my head. Josef, how can he stand it?"

Karlie was on the verge of another attack. Carlisle knew that another such outburst would put her in critical territory. He knew that right now, he didn't have a choice. Taking out the syringe he had brought with him, he took hold of Karlie and jabbed the needle into her jugular vein. Within seconds, the drug took effect. Karlie's eyes went blank and she became limp in Carlisle's arms.

"Sorry, Karlie." he said, "I know you don't like needles. But there was no other way."

* * *

><p>Beth was pacing agitatedly in the den, and Mick was watching her. "What's taking so long?" she finally asked, in frustration.<p>

"You wouldn't be able to say that so easily if you had seen her melt down like I did. I just don't understand, Mick. She's been fine, I mean, as fine as she can be considering the circumstances. But she certainly hasn't been going crazy. I should have known that something was going on."

"Beth, there was nothing that anyone could have done to prevent or predict this. Something tells me that this would have happened regardless."

Beth paused in her pacing and finally sat down. "I felt so helpless, Mick. I wanted to do something for her, but I couldn't. I hated that feeling."

Mick stared at Beth, and he felt something that had never occurred to him before. She didn't deserve to be in a place where she couldn't help the people that she cared about. As so many of those people were vampires, that meant that she could be in a continually limited space when it came to helping her friends. It occurred to him that Beth's turning wasn't just a question of him or her; it was a decision that could affect many people. Had he not been able to see that?

He did not get a chance to ponder that question further. However, it would prove to be an important turning point in his choice of turning Beth. It was the first time he had considered her turning in a positive light.

But at that very moment, Carlisle entered the room. Beth got to her feet and asked immediately, "How is she?"

Carlisle seemed to pause before answering, as though he were unsure what to say. "She is sleeping, properly now for the first time in days."

"How did you manage that?" asked Mick, with surprise, "She seemed so wired that sleep should have been the last thing on her mind."

"I had to sedate her." Both Mick and Beth stared at him in confusion. It was a well-known fact that most normal tranquilizers didn't work on vampires. "Ever since the occurrence with my brother last year, I have been experimenting with the affects that garlic plants have upon vampire physiology. I was able to come up with a sedative medicine a month ago. I had planned to start testing it gradually, but I'm afraid that the incident with Karlie forced my hand. I had Amanda bring some of it up a few hours ago. Not a moment to soon, it would seem."

"Are you trying to say that you knew something like this would happen?" said Beth.

"I had had suspicions, especially when I noticed that Karlie was losing her grip upon her control and sanity."

"What are you tying to say, Carlisle?" Beth asked anxiously, "What's going on?"

Carlisle motioned that she should sit down beside Mick, while he took a seat himself. "It's a little complicated. It all has to do with the bond she shares with Josef. In my 300 years, I have encountered one other couple like them, and in a situation that is, I'm afraid, eerily similar to this current one."

"What happened?" said Mick.

"It was during the 1960's, in Texas. A vampire couple, friends of mine, were separated for a great length of time. His truck broke down in the middle of the desert, and he was forced to wander in half delirium until he found civilization once more. But during that time, his bond mate felt his suffering. As he walked in sun and heat, she could never escape the fires of the desert. When he could not find anything to drink, nothing could cleanse her thirst. And she could not sleep, because he could find nowhere to rest in peace.

"Eventually, the strain became too much for her. She snapped, just like Karlie did. I was able to determine that because of their bond, each partner will feel what the other feels, whether it be sadness, joy or pain."

"What does this mean for Karlie?" Beth asked.

"It means that whatever she now feels, Josef is experiencing it ten times worse. Karlie spoke of not being able to sleep, heat and thirst. However, she also mentioned something else, a ringing in her ears, beyond any range that humans can hear. I can only imagine that Kenderick is somehow torturing Josef by withholding blood, trapping him with heat and bombarding him with auditory stimulus."

Beth and Mick could hardly believe what they were hearing. "Why would he do something?" said Beth, "Why not just kill him? I thought that's what Kenderick wanted in the firs place, revenge for his father."

"With a hunter like Kenderick, that's not enough." Said Mick, with grim certainty. "Kenderick wants Josef to suffer."

"And I fear that the longer Josef is in Kenderick's hands, the effect will only prove to be deadly for Karlie." said Carlisle, "She is being drained of her very life force. I can keep her stable for awhile longer, but unless something happens that will change Josef's situation…" He trailed off, clearly not wanting to finish the thought.

"What happened to the other couple in Texas?" Beth asked, knowing that was what Carlisle truly feared.

"They found her husband, but I fear by that time, it was too late to save him. He had been broken by the heat and the hunger. He could no longer remember who he was, or his control. I'm afraid that he had to be put down for his own sake, as well as for that of others. She, however, survived that. It shattered her, of course, and she had never been able to recover from it completely. However, she's still alive, and she has known happiness. If Karlie had been able to survive Josef being killed immediately by Kenderick, I've no doubt that she would have recovered. But as long as she is bonded with Josef, and as long as Josef is being tortured in this manner, eventually, it will come to the point where even I can do nothing. Karlie will die, from the sheer exhaustion of trying to stay alive. And Josef, weakened even more than she is, will not be able to stand the shock. I fear that, for both of them, time is running out."

* * *

><p>So, it seems that the stakes have been raised even higher. Can things get any worse? Well, no, they can't. Don't worry. I am not the kind of author who enjoys killing off characters that they have put so much work into. Things will start to look up in the next chapter, I promise.<p>

Also, on a Moonlight historical side note, I was scrounging around Youtube yesterday, and I found something very interesting. It's the original pilot for Moonlight. It was a twenty-five minute mini episode that laid down some of the basic concepts of what the series would be like. It's completely different from the finished product. It's set in New York as opposed to LA and everyone in the cast is different, except for Alex (Interestingly, the character who played the original Josef is much older, and he is actually pretty good). As a pilot, it's actually not to bad. It doesn't really have the same spark and polish that the series has, and the acting in my opinion is better. Also, it has some more horror elements to it, which actually might have put me off. Part of the reason why I like Moonlight is that even if it is about vampires, there isn't that much horrorific about it. But as a piece of Moonlight memrobilia, it's worth checking out. Just type in Moonlight Original Pilot into the search field and it should come up with two parts. Tell me what you think just for old times sake while you tell me what you think of this chapter.

Next chapter: Cory Reeves finally makes the ultimate desicion regarding his future, when he speaks to an enemy, and begins to understand that they ust might be more human than his father. The sins of the father, will not be those of the son.


	21. Sins of the Father

Well, after taking all my beloved characters and you my fantastic readers through the darkest pits of despair, we finally have some hope. Hopefully, tis will set a lot of you at rest.

Sins of the Father:

Cory Reeves was torn. Ever since his father had come back into his life and whisked him away on this hunt, he had never doubted that his father's cause was right. He might have questioned the brutality of those methods, and doubted that he himself would ever be able to perform them, but he had not believed them to be necessarily wrong in intent. But ever since he had witnessed his father's cruel and callous treatment of Josef Koston, his doubts had begun to grow stronger.

How could his father really be claiming to pursue justice when he seemed to take such joy in hurting not only Josef, but the other vampires which he was experimenting on? Cory had seen him, standing for two hours together in front of Josef's cell, just staring at the vampire, as he sank deeper and deeper into the hell that he had devised for him. How could he say it was all for the good of mankind when he was the one who was dominating them? Was he now doing anything worse than the crimes which he said that the vampires committed? Cory himself didn't think that the answer was so definite anymore.

Josef had been a captive for little more than a week. Scott had told Cory it was probably best if he stayed away from Koston, he didn't want him to run the risk of being convinced y anything the persuasive vampire might say. But Cory could not help himself. Drawn by an inner voice he couldn't silence, Cory felt that it was time to see another side of the story.

Thus, he found himself standing outside the cell of Josef Koston, looking at the prone form of the vampire from gaining any real rest. As he looked hard at Josef lying there in the cell, he looked more like a wounded animal than a monster, or like a picture of victim from the Holocaust that he remembered from his world history class. In the sight before him, he felt no triumph over an enemy brought low. He felt only pity, and an odd sense of guilt. "Stop staring at me."

Cory nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard that voice. He had thought for sure that Josef didn't even know he was there. What was more, he hadn't spoken at all since he had arrived, he only screamed sometimes, when what he was going through was too much for him to bear. But now the voice which spoke was calm, civilized, almost detached, not the ravings of a murderous creature. But it was also hoarse, weak and dry from underuse.

Josef's eyes opened, and Cory saw that they were brown, but the pupils were ringed with a sickly yellow. His skin was pale white. But there was still something of a noble dignity in the way he held himself, the way he stared down with no fear, no trace of broken despair. "Stop staring at me. I'm not some exotic anima in a zoo for you to ogle at."

"How did you even-"

"Oh, please, that glass might be booby-trapped but it still allows the smells to come through. It's not like I've been getting much sleep recently. So, why are you here? Did you come to gloat? That's what I would expect from the son of a famous hunter I'm surprised that you haven't come around more often."

"I didn't come here to gloat." Said Cory, almost automatically.

Josef cocked his head, giving him that same look of intense fascination that he had when he had first been kidnapped. "You're not lying, I can tell. Why are you here, then?"

Cory opened his mouth to respond, but he found that he had no good answer. "I-I don't know."

"Did you want to see your father's handiwork for yourself?" Josef asked, "Well, take a good look. Even if I have to give him credit, he just might have won this time. I assume your proud of him, must be eager to follow for in his footsteps."

Cory looked at Josef, and something began to assert itself in his mind. His father had brought Josef to this. Cory knew that he could not do the same thing. "No," he said, quietly, "I'm not proud. I can't say I'm all that eager either."

"No, no, you're not." Said Josef, after a moment. "You're certainly not what I was expecting in a hunter's son. What's your name?"

"You really want to make small talk now?"

"Why not? I don't think that either of us necessarily have anything better to do."

Cory had to admit that he had a point. "It's Cory, Cory Reeves."

Josef's eyes seemed to flicker with something like recognition. "So, you're the one who Simone talked about."

"Simone," said Cory, "Simone talked about me?"

"Yeah, she did. She seems to have a soft spot for you, claimed that you're worth sparing."

Cory gulped, feeling the stirrings of guilt within himself. He had abandoned the people who had raised him without as much as a second thought. He hadn't thought that after all that, any of them would want to speak for him. "Is she… is she okay?"

"Fine, safe. She, Travis and the babies will be fine one this whole thing blows over."

Cory's eyes widened. "Babies? Did you say babies?"

"Yes, you didn't know that Simone was pregnant?"

"Um, well, no."

"I see. She's going to have twins."

Cory swallowed hard, quite unable to wrap his mind around this latest revelation. Simone was pregnant. She was vulnerable, at least physically. What might have happened if his father's kidnapping had gone a step further? Granted, Scott probably hadn't known that Simone was pregnant, but the idea still didn't sit well with him.

"Is it true that her family raised you, after your father abandoned you?"

Cory winced. "Yes, but my father didn't abandon me."

"Then why didn't he fight to keep you?"

"He tried, and he did get visiting rights."

"Oh, how touching. And tell me, how often was he permitted to visit you and when did he actually do so?"

Cory was silent. His father had been permitted to visit him once every month, and he had, until he had turned ten. Then those visits had gradually begun to grow more and more infrequent, until they had stopped altogether. It didn't strike him until this very moment how very strange that pattern of behavior was. And it was from those early memories of an idealized father that Cory had so wanted so desperately to recreate. He had wanted those days to come back so much that he had grown resentful of the people who had loved and raised him. By the time he was sixteen, he had started to push the limits, getting into trouble more than was necessary. He had thought that as long as his father wasn't there, it didn't really matter what he did. That's what had led to his selling meth on the streets.

When Scott had rescued him from that, Cory had thought that all his troubles were over. He and his father could finally be a family with anything or anyone to interfere. But Cory was beginning to wonder if that was even possible. Scott was demanding things of him that Cory knew he would be never be able to fulfill. And Scott didn't even seem to care about what his son wanted, so long as someone continued the role of hunter.

His silence told all that Josef needed to hear. "Listen, kid, Simone vouched for you. I've come to trust her judgment. For her sake, I'm willing to give you a small piece of advice. Get out, while you still can. When a man becomes a hunter, when he kills in cold blood for so long, it can change him. Your father doesn't care about anything anymore. All he cares about is the hunt. It consumes you, until it's all you think about, all you care about."

"Is my father justified?" Cory asked, "Does he have any reason to kill your kind?"

"The short answer if no." said Josef, "I won't lie to you. There are monsters, true monsters among my kind. I'm not innocent myself. I am a predator. I have killed people; I even killed your grandfather. And ever life that I've taken, well, those that have deserved it, I don't regret it. I would have done the same thing all over again. But humans shouldn't interfere in the affairs of vampires."

"Why not?"

"Because hinters like your father have no sense of perspective. They think that every vampire is an evil and soulless abomination. They can't accept the fact that most of the vampires they kill are innocents who are just trying to live in peace with the humans around them. We also have rules, laws. And we're stern with those who break them. When humans try to take matters into their own hands, it upsets the balance."

"You sound so civilized." Said Cory, after a long pause.

Josef managed a tired smile, though it didn't really reach his eyes. "You sound very surprised."

"It's just what my father told me." Cory replied, but that excuse sounded rather feeble to him now. "I'm having trouble seeing it myself."

"There might be hope for you yet." Said Josef, "Like I said, get out before this whole thing consumes you."

There was finality in that statement which made Cory thinks that the conversation was over. The vampire's eyes closed again, in a futile quest for sleep before the next round of auditory torture commenced. Cory found himself blindly walking away, his mind reeling from the revelation he had just encountered. When he got to his room, he sank into a chair, and just thought.

Sometimes the battle which can define the rest of a person's life can be fought over years other times; it can be only a few hours. For Cory, it would be the longest most difficult few hours that he never experienced, for the battle was between two extremes: his loyalty to his father and his revulsion at all that he was doing. He knew that there was no middle ground in this case; to support one would be to abandon the other forever, with no turning back.

Cory knew that his father believed that he was doing a service to mankind. But as he thought back on what he had seen and heard. Cory didn't know if he could consider that the case. he hurt others. Whether or not they were humans was not the question. They could clearly feel and respond to pain the same way that humans could. In fact, they might feel even more because of their enhanced sense. And what was more, his father caused that suffering, and he enjoyed inflicting it. Was that the way that justice was supposed to be handled? There should be no joy in killing, especially when perhaps deaths were justified.

There was also much more to vampires than Cory had suspected. Scott had said that they could not love, but Josef Koston had risked his life to save his wife. Surely, that could not be the work of an unfeeling, mindless beast. From what he had seen, vampires had a certain nobleness and eloquence to them, perhaps because they had lived so long.

He was certain that vampires were as bad as the stories, but he had to face the fact that what his father was doing was no different. He could not deny it any longer Scott Kenderick was not a hero, and he was not fighting for the greater good of mankind. He was a murderer.

This was a terrible realization for him to make, for it shattered all the dreams and illusions Cory had ever had about his father. But in a way, it also liberated him. His father had sinned, but the sings of the father would not become the sins of the son. Cory decided that the killing would stop with him.

* * *

><p>Well, it seems like things might be starting pick up a little bit. Please review and tell me if you think so.<p>

Next chapter: A ray of hope shines forth in the darkness. Mick finds his help from a most unexpected source, and makes the decision to risk it all to save his brother.


	22. A Ray of Hope

A Ray of Hope:

For Beth and Mick, there was not much else that they could to help Karlie. Once Carlisle had stabilized her, he advised them to return to Mick's apartment. They both looked like they needed rest, Mick especially, as he had hardly stopped to rest since Josef's capture.

"Are you all right?" Beth asked, as the two of them rode the elevator up to the apartment. "You've been very quiet ever since Carlisle told us about Karlie."

Mick sighed "I don't think I am all right. Josef and Karlie were the first vampires who really accepted me. They're the closest thing to a family that I really have. And if I lose them." He shook his head. "I don't want to think about it."

"We'll find him, Mick, I know we will." Said Beth, as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I know we will." Said Mick, "The only thing I want to know is if we'll save them in time."

The elevator had gotten to the top of the building. Mick suddenly tensed as the doors opened. "What? What's the matter?" Beth asked.

Mick inhaled slightly. "There's someone in the hallway, outside the apartment." He whispered.

"How could that be? The elevator to this apartment is private. No one should be able to get up here unless they have the right code."

"I know, which means there might be an unwelcome guest waiting for us." He looked at Beth, "Stay behind me, understand? If it's a hunter, and they attack, do not wait for me. Get to the elevator, get to in the car, and drive to Josef's. You understand?"

Beth nodded wordlessly. Arguments would be useless in this matter. She had seen hunters in action, and she knew that she was woefully unable to fight them. As much as she hated it, she knew that she had to let Mick protect her once more. Cautiously, Mick crept forward into the hallway, his gun drawn. It took him merely a moment to see who the intruder was.

Initially, Mick was just surprised. He was only a kid; he couldn't have been anymore than eighteen. He certainly didn't seem like a hunter. He didn't have a hunter's instinct. He was completely unaware that Mick was sneaking up behind him. He just kept standing outside the door, knocking. Mick had thought that a hunter who had managed to get this far would have been a bit more observant with his surroundings.

As it was, he didn't even know that Mick was stalking him until he barked, "Hey, turn and keep your hands where I can see them."

The boy seemed to jump out of his skin when he heard this. He immediately turned and lifted his hands above his head. "Don't shoot." He said, his face and voice suddenly looking terrified when he saw the gun and the deadly expression in his Mick's eyes. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Really? I'll be the judge of that. You just be quiet and answer my questions. Who are and what are you doing here?"

The boy swallowed hard, and finally said, in a halting voice. "Are… Are you Mick St. John?"

"Maybe I am and may I'm not." Mick was swiftly beginning to lose his patience. "Answer my questions."

"My name is Cory Reeves. I came here because…"

He didn't get any further. Mick recognized Cory's name from what Josef had told him, and he lost whatever control he had had. He snarled with rage as his eyes went silver. He dropped the gun and lunged at Cory, wrapping his hand around his throat and pushing him against the wall in the blink of an eye. "You have maybe a minute to tell me everything before I kill you. Where is your father hiding? Where is Josef being held?"

Cory was understandably terrified. There were few who could witness a vampire in the full grip of his rage and not feel utterly helpless. Cory also knew that what he said in the next few minutes would be critical. They would make the difference between whether he lived or died.

"It's because of Josef that I'm here." Cory gasped out, desperately. "He sent me to you."

"Oh, really, I have a hard time believing that. Why would Josef do that?"

"I wanted to help him. He told me that I should come to you, that you were the only one he could trust."

"Mick, let him go." Said Beth, "I think he's telling the truth. At least listen to him."

After a pause of a few seconds, Mick miraculously let Cory go. He slumped against the wall, gasping as he tried to restart his lungs. He glanced at Beth, who had probably saved him from being strangled to death. "Thanks."

"You won't have a reason to thank me if you don't tell Mick what he wants to know." said Beth, fiercely, "Where is Josef?"

Cory finally managed to even out his breathing, and said, "He's at my father's lab, along with all the vampires he's been experimenting on. My dad has him in some sort of cell. He's torturing him to death."

"How did he look when you left?" Mick demanded.

"He was… I don't know. I don't anything about vampires. But he looked awful. His skin looked white as a sheet, and there were dark circles under his eyes. His eyes themselves were yellow, and he doesn't seem to have any energy. He also was hallucinating when I spoke to him. It took me several tries to get through to him."

"So, he's alive?"

"Yes, he is. But quite honestly, I don't know how long he can last. I wanted to bring him with me, but he said that I couldn't. He said that he was… he was dying. If I tried to get him you of his cell, he wouldn't have been able to make it over. He told me he would have fed on me, maybe even killed me. He didn't want to risk that, so he said I should come and find you. He said you would know what to do."

Honestly, Mick didn't know what to make of this. He was torn. He truly wanted to believe that this boy was his key to getting Josef out, but he still didn't know if all this was still some sort of elaborate trick.

"How do I know it was Josef who told you all of this? You could just be trying to get me to come to your father."

Josef had told Cory there was a good chance this would happen. He had instructed him in exactly what he should say. "He turned you because you called him your brother."

Mick froze when he heard this. He stared intently at Cory, but this time, without any sort of aggression. "What did you say?"

"When Josef turned you, or re-turned you, whatever, he said that he did it because you called him your brother. You'd never done that before, and he hadn't known until that point that you considered him your brother. That's why he turned you, because he realized that you loved him like family, just like he loves you."

Mick found himself flooded with emotion when he heard this. He remembered that night, when he had taken the cure in order to be human for a fleetingly short time, and then had begged Josef to turn him when he had to save his Beth. He maybe could have asked Karlie to do it, as she had been standing right there. But it was to Josef that he had turned too to do the deed, almost by instinct. His instincts had been pulling towards him because he was the one who Mick had always trusted and valued most. Josef had been the one who had helped him out of his depression after Coraline, who had forced him to be all that he could be. Beth had helped him find joy in his immortal existence, but it was Josef who had given him hope. Instinctively, at that moment, he had known that Josef was the one who should have been his sire.

But, he had never known or suspected that Josef could have felt the same way. But now he knew. Cory was not lying. The words had come from Josef. Whether or not he could completely trust Cory, he didn't know. But his brother was calling for help, and Mick would answer it, no matter what it took.

"You can take me to him?"

Cory nodded, hoping that Mick was willing to listen to him. "Yes, I can."

Mick regarded Cory with a critical eye, and Cory felt himself go pale. Mick might be willing to listen to him, but it was quite clear that he was still far from trusting him. "If you try to double-cross me or if you end up killing Josef because of your stupidity, I promise you that I will kill you. Do you understand?"

Cory would have been an idiot if he had not. "Yeah, I get it."

"Good, I think that we understand each other." Mick opened the door to the apartment and the two humans followed the unspoken command that they should go with him. "You," he said, pointing to the couch, "Sit, and don't move." Cory obeyed without question.

Mick, satisfied that Cory would stay, hurried over to the fridge and began to pull out bottles of blood, putting them into a cooler. "Mick, are you seriously going to trust the son of a hunter to help you rescue Josef?"

"Yes," he said, without hesitation, "Beth, he could be the only chance I have. I can't just throw it away."

"But shouldn't we at least tell Carlisle? You can't go in alone."

"And while we're doing that, Josef could die. You heard Cory, he doesn't have much time."

"Mick, at least le me come with you."

"Beth, no."

"Why? Because I'm not a vampire?"

Beth hadn't meant for that question to sound so harsh, but she couldn't help it. She was sick of Mick going off and putting himself in danger, while she had to stay behind. For once, Mick did not try to evade the question. It was becoming more and more apparent to him that Beth was going to become a vampire whether he liked it or not. But this time, she had read the situation wrong. And he had to make her understand that.

He stopped what he was doing, and took Beth by the shoulders and said, "Beth, no. That doesn't have anything to do with that. This is something that I have to do on my own. Josef turned me, when he knew very well that there was nothing more that I wanted than to be human. But, because he did that, I feel like I've been given a second chance. He gave that to me. Now, he needs me, I owe him."

Beth, despite her unhappiness at being left out, knew what Mick was trying to say and she could understand. "Because he's your friend?"

"He's more than that." said Mick, "He's my brother."

Mick embraced her, kissing the top of her head. "I'll be fine, I promise you. Once we're gone, get to Carlisle's and tell him what's happened. Tell him we'll bring Josef to the mansion when we get him out." Beth nodded wordlessly. Mick grabbed the cooler and turned to Cory. "You, come with me. And don't forget, I have my eye on you."

* * *

><p>So, it seems that things are finally starting to look up. I hope that everyone understands what I threw in about Mick and Josef. I noticed that there was a subtle but important change between the two of them after Josef turned Mick. I don't know what they might have done with it had the show continued, but I will be coming back to it later in the story. In the meantime, please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Mick goes on a daring solo rescue into a house of horrors. Finding Josef is only the beginning, however. Dying and unable to make it out on his own, a source of life will come from the most unlikely donor of all.


	23. Rescue

Rescue:

Cory and Mick rode in almost total silence as they made their way through the streets of LA, Cory giving occasional directions to Mick and only when he asked for them. Admittedly, Cory felt a little nervous riding in the car with a vampire. And he was startled that, once they were out of the city proper, Mick actually spoke to him. "Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"This, rescuing Josef, coming to a vampire for help. That's pretty much a betrayal of everything you hunters believe it. I can tell you're sincere. I just can't figure out why?"

"I'm not a hunter." Cory said, in a small voice. "I never was and I never can be."

"But, you're still willing to betray your father's principles. Why?"

"What he's doing isn't right." said Cory, after a brief moment. "I just want to stop the killing to stop. I want all of this to stop."

Mick chanced a look at Cory. He had to admit that he might have misjudged him. Clearly, Cory didn't like what he was doing at all. The idea of going against his father was incredibly difficult and yet he was still doing it, because he knew it was the right thing to do. That took more than a little courage. "So what happens after you help me? Are you going to walk away?"

Cory shrugged. "I hadn't really thought of that. I don't know if I can go back."

"You listen to me." said Mick, after a pause, "I know what it's like to feel like you're a failure, like there's nothing you can do to change your fate. The most important thing that I've ever learned is that you always have a choice. You should probably learn that for yourself."

Cory was surprised when he head heard these words. Why on earth Mick St. John, a vampire that his father would have killed as soon as look at, would want to give him advice about how to better his own life? It was not a question which he felt himself able to answer. In a way, it only left him feeling more confused.

They finally arrived at the compound that Scott had created as his base. Cory directed Mick to a narrow country road that left to the area right above the main hanger. "You should be hidden pretty well here." said Cory, "They aren't looking for intruders to come from above. The cell where they're holding Josef is right off the main area where they have been doing experiments. The fastest way to get there is through the back door." Cory pointed in that direction. "I don't know if there will be any guards there."

"If there's a window open that will serve me better." Said Mick.

Cory looked at him questioningly. "Vampire trick." He explained, "What can you tell me about security inside?"

"There isn't much that you have to worry about in terms of patrols. You vampires are pretty easy to worry about once you're restrained. No offense."

"None taken. So what else can you tell me?"

"There are security cameras, so you'll want to try and avoid them. Josef's cell is booby-trapped, you can't break through the glass, or the entire cell will explode. But getting into the cell requires a code, and no, I don't know it. I don't think that my father meant for him to get out once he got in."

"It should be easy enough to break into the system." Said Mick, "I've done this sort of thing for a long time." He looked over at Cory and said, in bit hesitantly, "Thank you, I know this must been difficult for you."

Cory nodded. "It was, but it was the right ting to do."

The two of them got out of the car, and crept over to the entrance. However, before they were able to get half way there, Mick froze. "What is it?" Cory asked.

"Humans, three of them coming this way." He cast Cory a suspicious glance. "They're looking for you."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth, then Cory heard them. "Cory, is that you?" His father's voice called out, "I thought I saw your car parked beyond the ridge."

"Get away." Hissed Cory, "Leave, they haven't seen you. I'll keep them distracted."

Mick wasn't entirely sure if he could trust Cory, but he had no real choice. He slipped away into the darkness, and Cory came forward to meet his father. "Dad, it's me. I'm over here."

The next moment, Scott, Louis and another hunter came around the corner of the building. When Scott saw Cory, he hurried towards him, and embraced him, obviously very relieved. "Cory, thank goodness. I've been so worried about you. Were on earth have you been?"

"I've been... I've been on a hunt."

Scott stared at him. "What?"

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said lately, and I just wanted to try it for myself. I've been trying to stalk that Mick St. John vampire, but I… wasn't able to even get close to him. I think he might have been playing with me. I didn't want to come back empty-handed, but after a few hours, I knew it was a fool's errand. I'm really sorry, dad, I tried."

Scott could hardly believe what he was hearing. He smiled and pulled Cory into another hug. "Oh, Cory, my boy. I am so proud of you. You have the true makings of a hunter. I knew that you had it in you."

"I thought you'd be mad."

"Mad? Why would I be mad? I will admit tic was foolhardy of you, but that kind of gumption is only the beginning. I did the same thing when I was your age. You just wait and see, Cory, now that you have felt the call, noting will ever be able to silence it."

As Cory looked into his father's proud gaze, he experienced just a split second of doubt. His father' approval, which he had worked so hard to earn, was just within his grasp? What it worth it? But then, he remembered the suffering tat Scott had been responsible for, and the blood that was on his hands. And he knew that no approval could ever be worth that.

* * *

><p>Mick overheard Cory's exchange with Scott, and he had to give the kid credit, he never so much as batted an eye during the whole deception. Yet for all that, Mick could sense the cracks. Cory was in a lot of pain, but Scott seemed totally unaware of it. It seemed that as long he could make his son into a killer, he didn't care what he might think.<p>

When they were all going away from him, Mick quickly and silently moved to the back of the compound, there, he found an open window to jump into. He landed in a large cavernous area, and when he turned around, he froze in horror. He had seen a lot of terrible things in his decades, more so perhaps since he was private detective. But he had never experienced the horrors of the hunter's lair.

There were at least twenty-four bodies lying on medical tables through the area. All of the vampires were staked and chained to the table with silver manacles. There faces were drawn, gaunt and pale. On one side, an IV was giving them a tiny lifeline, while the other IV drained that life away. What was worse, was that as Mick drew closer and saw the eyes, he saw that they were in pain. They were utterly defenseless, weak and the blood being drawn was painful. Plus, judging by the incisions he saw on their arms, Kenderick's experiments had not simply involved drawing blood. Each of these vampires was going through a living hell.

One face in particular dew his attention. It was the face of a black-haired, caramel-skinned woman. It was Antonia Allendez, Logan's missing girlfriend, where this whole thing had started. It seemed like another age altogether.

Mick couldn't stop the chills of horror that skated down his spine. What made it worse was that he could do nothing for any of them. They all seemed to be staring at him with pleading eyes, knowing one of their own was in room and represented their only escape. But he could not rescue them all. He could rescue one, and hope that e could return in time to get them all out of them.

Trying not to look and so be further caught up in this horror house. He hurried towards the hallway that Cory ad indicated to him. He could smell another vampire down there. But the scent was faint and weak. And when he came upon Josef's cell, he stopped. The vampires in the other room had made him feel compassion, the sight before him now tore his heart out.

Josef had always seemed so strong to him, so untouchable by the vagaries of time. Now, he was faced with the fact that Josef's strength could be frightening fragile. Josef was lying on his back, his body stained with the sweat of heat stroke and the pure exhaustion of trying to stay alive. His skin was bone white and seemed as thin as paper stretched over bones. It looked as though the slightest jar would cause him to shatter. He looked weak, tired and he was dying.

Mick was so affected what he was being, he almost didn't notice what he was bearing. It was a piercingly loud shrieking sound, at levels that no other human would have been able to hear. But to Mick, it felt like his ear drums were bleeding after only five seconds. He couldn't imagine what it was must have been like for Josef.

He was able to break the code to get into the cell without any difficulty. It also shut down the terrible ringing sound. The door opened, and Mick almost stepped back. The heat radiating off of the cell floors and walls was still intense despite the fact that the lights were turned down now considerably. He forced himself to step over the barrier and rush to Josef's prone form. "Josef, Josef, can you hear me?" He reached out and shook Josef lightly. "Josef, come on, answer me."

Josef's eye drifted blurrily open, he looked up at Mick, and he saw that the older vampire's eyes were blank and film. It was as if he didn't eleven see or recognize him. His eyes were still yellow, bloodshot, and vacant. For a moment, Mick was frightened. Had he come to late to help him?

But then, Josef's eyes began to clear. Recognition dawned and he actually managed a weak smile. "Mick, I should have realized you'd be stupid enough to come."

"What can I say? I wasn't about to let you have all the fun

Josef tried to respond, but he could not. A sudden, sharp cough started racking is body. He seemed to be fighting for breath, fighting for life. Mick knew that he didn't have much time.

"Josef, come on, I need to get you out of here."

Josef finally managed to gain control of his breathing. He shook his head. "Mick, no, leave me. Get out of here while you still can."

"What? No, Josef. I'm not going to leave you here."

"Mick, I can't make it. I can't even stand up, much less make a run out of here."

Mick was not going to stand for that. "Listen, Josef," he said, fiercely, "Don't you dare die on me. I'm not going to allow it. You've dragged me this far in life. You honestly think I'm going to let you give up this easily."

"Mick, I can't-"

"No, you're not going to give me any 'you can't'. No, brother, this isn't the end. I'm not going to let you tell me it is."

Josef looked up at Mick in honest surprise. Brother? Mick had called him brother a second time. So, he did understand what that one word had made a difference to him all those years ago. And looking into Mick's eyes now, he could see that same determination, and behind it, a love that had bound them together for decades. They didn't need to speak it, because they both understood.

It was that same love which gave Josef strength; though he wasn't sure how much he would be able to muster. He managed to make it to a sitting position. He felt dizzy, light headed and thirsty, so thirsty. He needed blood, he wanted blood. In fact, he was certain that he could almost smell it. And he could. Mick smelt it too. The two vampires turned only to see that Cory Reeves was standing in the door of the cell, watching them with evident concern.

Josef immediately felt his inner vampire surge to the surface. His fangs descended, and with a hungry growl, he tried to lunge at Cory. However, he was so weak, his predatory strength was little more than that of a helpless kitten. Mick was able to restrain him, but just barely. But he warned Cory, "Stay back, kid. Josef's hungry and he could attack you without a second thought."

Though Cory had taken a step back, and he looked frightened, he did not move away. "He needs blood, doesn't he?" He asked, almost uncertainly.

"Yes, he does. It's going to be hard to get him out of here without at least a dose of fresh blood. I should have brought the cooler with me. I had no idea that he would be this bad."

Cory seemed to hesitate for a few moments, as though he were considering something he really didn't like, but he knew he had to consider. Then, a new courage seemed to take over, and he stepped forward, shrugging out of his coat to expose his arms. "Then take mine."

"What?" said Mick, who was completely started to see the sun of a hunter willingly offer his blood in order to preserve the life of a vampire.

"How do I do this?" Cory asked, ignoring Mick's astonishment, and trying to ignore his own doubts.

"Cory, listen to me. You don't have to do this. No one is asking you to."

"I told you, I wanted the killing to stop." Said Cory, if this is what it takes to do that, then it's a price I'm willing to pay."

Cory had come close to them, and the scent of fresh blood caused Josef to become even more feral. He was struggling against Mick's grasp. "Cory, Josef is sick. He's not in control. He gets one taste of your blood, he could kill you without even being aware of it."

Cory looked at Mick, and then turned his gaze on Josef. "I don't think he will. There's something inside of him, something will keep him from doing it."

Mick had never believed that he would see something like this in a hunter, willing to give everything up for the sake of the enemy. Not only that, but he also knew just what Cory was risking; not only his own life, but the very approval of his father. Mick couldn't help but feel his sympathy and respect for Cory increase.

Mick allowed Josef just a little slack, but still kept him restrained enough that he could keep him from harming the boy. Josef did not need a second bidding. He grabbed hold of Cory's wrist, latched on with his fangs and began to drink. Cory hissed with pain and shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to look at what Josef was doing. And amazingly, after nearly a minute of fevered drinking, Josef managed to claw his way back to sanity, and released Cory, though it was obviously with a great deal of reluctance. He looked at Cory, and he thought that he could more than a touch of gratitude in the still silvered eyes of the older vampire. "Thank you." Was all he said.

Cory looked down at the two puncture wounds on his wrist, and met Josef's gaze once more. "You're welcome."

They struggled to get Josef's body out of the cell and down the hallway. "We have to hurry." Said Cory, "I don't know how long my dad will be distracted."

"I need to get Josef out of here as quickly as possible."

They managed to get Josef out of the back door, and they were nearly half way to where they had parked the car, when suddenly, the silence of the night was shattered by a shrill alarm. "That's the alarm." Said Cory, "They knew something is wrong."

Before Mick could respond, he heard the sound of slamming doors, and the footsteps of nearly a dozen men converging on their location. He could hear Scott shouting orders to his men to search he area. He felt trapped and backed into a corner. He couldn't hold off twelve men and defend Josef at the same time. He would simply die trying. But before he could contemplate what his first move would be, Corry suddenly screamed. "Dad, help! He's got me!"

"Cory, is that you?" Scott responded, fear shading his words.

"What are you doing?" Mick hissed.

"Getting you of here. Pretend you've got me captive. Dad won't shoot or advance if he thinks I'm in danger."

Mick didn't exactly like the idea of kidnapping Cory, but on the other hand, it seemed like their only chance. He took hold of Cory and held him in front of himself and Josef. "Kenderick, I've got your son. If you even try to take a shot at me, your son will be the first one to fall."

"You-you soulless monster." Spat Scott, enraged, "You put a mere child between yourself and danger? You are nothing but a coward."

"Sticks and stones, Kenderick." Said Mick, as he began easing the little groups towards the car. "You can call me whatever you like, but I'm getting out of this alive."

They had finally made it, and Mick was busy helping Josef into the car, and he was half tempted to let Cory go. Kenderick obviously didn't suspect his son of any complicity in the escape attempt. There was really little danger of Cory betraying them, as he hadn't learned anything of real value. But Cory, as if sensing his desire, said in a low voice. "If you let me go, you'll lose any chance you have of getting out of here alive."

Mick gave a harsh laugh in response to Kenderick's desperate plea. "I give your kid back, you'll kill me first chance you get. Sorry, Kenderick. The boy comes with me, if only to ensure your better behavior." With that last salvo, Mick closed Josef's door, leapt over to the driver's side and got in, Cory was already in the back seat, and as Mick floored the gas pedal, he saw in the rear view mirror that Cory was trying very hard not to cry, and perhaps with good reason. Cory realized that by helping the enemy, he had closed the door, irrevocably upon his past.

* * *

><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Karlie seeks solace in the midst of her greatest challenge from an old friend. However, now that Josef has been rescued a new question faces him and his friends: what to do with the young man who should be an enemy, but is now facing a very uncertain future.


	24. Solace

Solace:

When Karlie finally awoke, it was to the news that Mick had gone off to rescue Josef on his own. Ordinarily perhaps, she might have been a bit perturbed that Mick hadn't included her. However, this time, she couldn't bring herself to be angry. She was in no condition to help. Until Josef was out of the hell hole he was trapped in, she wouldn't be much help to anyone. She could only hope from afar that Josef would succeed.

She had been unconscious for more than twelve hours. She felt somewhat better, though still weaker than she was would have liked, or was even used to. He had been honest with her about the extent of her condition. She really couldn't meet the news that she could die with anything beyond a dull acceptance. Life was pretty rotten right now. If she died along with Josef, it might actually be a relief.

However, she still had not given up hope. It Mick was rescuing Josef, she knew that there was still a chance. But, it was difficult for her. As Beth had finally succumbed to the exhaustion of the last few days and had fallen asleep in one of the Koston mansion's bedrooms, and Carlisle continuing his duties at temporary Elder, she felt rather alone. Along about 3 in the morning, she decided to reach out to the one person who understood what she was going through in being separated from Josef.

Ever since meeting him last year, Frederich Braun had become as much a regular part of Josef's life. Frederich had also reached out to Karlie with uncommon warmth, treating her very much as a member of the family. For Karlie, it had been welcome. She had left a lot behind when she had become a vampire. One of the things that she missed most had been her father. Ever since he had died a few years before, it had left a hole in her heart that she hadn't been able to fill. Frederich would never be able to fully replace him, but he brought her a solace and security that she had not thought she would be able to fill again.

She called him, and despite the fact that it was the middle of the day, and he should have been asleep, he answered immediately. "Karlie, I was wondering when you'd call."

"I take it you know what's happening here."

"Yes, Carlisle had been keeping me regularly updated. Has there been any word on Josef?"

"No, there hasn't. Mick had somehow able to find out where he was. He's gone off on his own to rescue him."

Frederich had actually laughed a little. "Ah, to be young and impulsive once again. I've no doubt he'll succeed." He paused for a moment, before he said, "How are you handling it, my dear? You sound terrible, if you don't mind me saying."

Karle found herself smiling, although it was a half-hearted attempt. "I'm not doing all that great. In fact, it's terrible."

"My dear, I can't possibly imagine it. It's hard enough for me not being able to be there. What it's like for you, not to mention that bond you share with him."

"It's like torture, Frederich. I can feel everything that he's going through, and he… he's dying. He's dying and I can't do anything about it. I hate feeling this powerless."

"No on does, especially vampires. I cannot say that I ever have gone through what you're experiencing. But I know what it feels like not to be in control. It's hard. I've been in that position more than a few times."

"What did you do?"

"I made the most of what I knew I could do. And sometimes that's just waiting. That's hard thing to hear in your situation, but sometimes it's all you can do."

"It sounds like you speak from experience."

"I do, actually. I have gone through what you are experiencing every time I have ever turned someone. You are aware that for some vampires, turning someone can be a challenge. For every person I have ever turned, I have never known if they would wake up again after I gave them my blood. Each of them I wanted desperately to save, but until the turning could take place, there was nothing that I could do."

"Josef's never told me that about you."

Frederich laughed a little. "Josef is not very forthcoming about his family. He holds such things very privately."

"I hope that he will be able to tell me about them, someday."

"He will, Karlie, I know he will. If there is anything that being alive for six hundred years has taught me, it's that we must always have hope."

"That's a lesson we all could remember right now. Thank you, Frederich."

"You're welcome, my dear. I am hoping for the best. Please call me as soon as you have any news of Josef."

"I will, Frederich." No sooner has she hung up the phone, then Beth hurried into the room. She appeared to be excited and anxious all at the same time. "Beth, what is it? I thought that you were asleep."

"I was, but Carlisle woke me up. He told me to come and get you. Mick has called, he has Josef."

"Josef?" said Karlie, breathlessly, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, come on. Carlisle is talking to him right now."

The two women hurried through the mansion to the living room, where Carlisle was on the speaker phone with Mick. "Where is he? When will he get here?" Karlie demanded, as soon as they entered the room. "Does he have Josef? Can I talk to him?"

"Karlie, calm down." said Carlisle, "Mick has Josef, but he's in a bad way. You have to be quiet so I can assess his condition as best as I can over the phone."

Karlie reluctantly kept silent, and Carlisle went back to Mick. "Now, Mick, how many pints of blood has he had since you left?"

"Three." Said Mick, "He was drinking pretty heavily when we started, but he's slowed down. His color doesn't look any better, though."

"It most likely won't." said Carlisle, "Listen to me, Mick, it's very important that you don't give Josef any more blood for the time being. If you do, his body won't be able to process it, and he could die from drowning in his own tissues. I'll have to rig an IV as soon as he gets back, so I can control how much blood he'll get. What's his temperature? Pulse?"

"It's at least ten degrees higher than it should be. His pulse is racing to."

"All right, get him here as quickly as you can."

"Will do. We'll be there in ten minutes."

That wait was the longest ten minutes was the longest that Karlie had ever endured. As soon as she heard Mick's car pulling up in front of the house, though, se was up on her feet and rushing out the door. Mick was helping a weakened Josef from out of the passenger side of the car, when Karlie appeared and has used vampire speed to cover the distance in the blink of an eye. She was with Josef, her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him tightly and sobbing as she did so. Josef, exhausted and fighting still for his life, could only return the embrace. Already, he could feel his soul becoming at peace. Now, even if he was still marked to die, at least now he would die wit the one he loved the most close by.

There were no words spoken, for the emotions went deeper than words. Indeed, the witnesses were reluctant to even step in lest they should break some sort of magic spell, and yet it needed to be done. Carlisle came forward, and Karlie reluctantly stepped back to allow him to get a better look at Josef, though she still kept a protective arm wrapped around him, as tough she were afraid that the slightest wind might blow him away. It was in doing this action that she caught sight of Cory, who had stepped out of the car an, and now seemed largely forgotten in light of Josef's return. He looked somewhat nervous in being surrounded by so many vampires, a feeling that was somewhat exacerbated when Karlie's fierce gaze landed on him. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded, looking more than half ready to attack, as she recognized Kenderick's scent clinging to him in more ways than one.

Cory was so frightened; he could hardly put together a coherent sentence. "Me? Well, I… Uh, I…"

"Karlie, leave him." said Josef, soothingly, "He save my life." he looked at Cory, and repeated in a softer tone of voice. "He saved my life."

Karlie seemed reluctant to let Cory go so easily. However, she had larger concerns at the moment, Josef being the top one. She and Carlisle began helping Josef to the mansion, followed closely by Mick. "Beth," he said, as he passed her, "Could I ask you for a favor?"

"You want me to keep an eye on Cory while you're with Josef."

Mick blinked. "Um, well, yeah. What gave me away?"

"The fact that I'm the only human who would be able to empathize with him."

"Is that okay with you?" said Mick, uncertain if this would give offense to Beth. He really wasn't asking her to do this because he wanted her to feel left out. To his relief, Beth smiled and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Don't worry, Mick. I understand. I can understand what Cory is going through, at least a little. And I think he would feel a little easier around a human right now."

"You're amazing." Said Mick, with a soft smile.

Beth returned it. "Don't forget it either."

As Mick disappeared into the house, Beth turned around to Cory, who was still standing by the car, uncertainty showing in his entire manner. Smiling gently, she said, "Hi, I'm Beth Turner. I don't think we were introduced properly before."

"No, um, I don't think so." Said Cory.

"Would you like to come inside?" said Beth, "I'm sure you must be exhausted, not to mention hungry."

Cory looked doubtful. "Go in there? But won't someone who works for Josef try to take my head off?"

"Josef has given you his protection." Said Beth, earnestly, "No one will hurt you, I promise."

Cory was once more surprised. Any vampire would have been dead getting two steps inside his father's compound. Had Cory so been wrong when he said vampires showed no mercy? This human woman seemed completely unafraid of them, and even seemed to be in a very tender relationship with one. Maybe he could trust her word. Besides, it really wasn't like he had anywhere to go.

* * *

><p>Josef had been unable to get any further than the living room, where he collapsed in exhaustion on the sofa. Karlie had never been more grateful for the fact that Carlisle was not only an expert in human physiology; he was also one of the few who intimately understood the vampire body. This was truly a matter of life and death. Carlisle was just the right man for the job.<p>

"His pulse is racing." Said Carlisle, as he swiftly checked Josef's vitals. "His body is working overtime just to get blood into his system. His temperature is ten degrees above normal. You should be dead, by all the laws of nature, Josef."

"I make it a point not to know the laws of nature. That way, I never know the odds." Said Josef, still worn and haggard.

"That maybe so. But you're far worse than even expected, but not as bad as you could be." he had started to prepare a syringe of the clear tranquilizer drug that he had administered to Karlie the night before, but she could clearly see that there was something different about it.

"That's more than you gave to me a few days ago." said Karlie, a worried expression on her face.

"I know." said Carlisle, as he finished preparing the syringe and approached Josef. "Believe me, it's necessary."

But Karlie was not going to let it rest there. She stood in front of Josef and demanded, "Carlisle, what are you doing?"

Carlisle could see that she wasn't going to let the matter go. "I'm going to induce a coma. It's the only way that Josef will survive. His body is in shock. It's working far too hard to stay alive. If I simply put him to sleep, his vital organs will simply keep on working overtime until they give out. I have to shut down everything but his nonessential systems."

"Will that even help him?"

Carlisle did not answer right away. Even he knew how severe Josef's condition was very severe. Even with the treatment he had planned, there was a chance that Josef wouldn't be able to old on. Karlie could see that without him having to say it. Josef decided the issue for her, when he took her hand gently and said, "Karlie, sweetheart, let it be. If I have to die now, at least I know I'll be dying amongst friends, and with you. That's all I want."

Karlie reluctantly stepped aside, still holding onto Josef. Carlisle came forward and looked at Josef long and hard, as though silently asking his permission to continue. Josef merely nodded. Without another word, Carlisle injected the serum into his blood stream. It took only a few seconds for the drug to take effect. And in Josef's eyes, there was an expression of immense relief, as though all his pain and suffering had been washed away. Than his eyes closed and he slumped forward into Karlie's arms, the first real sleep he had had in over a week.

From that point on, it would be an uncertain vigil for Karlie, but it was one which she was determined to see through until the end.

* * *

><p>Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Cory experiences difficulties adjusting to his temporary refuge, and finds an unexpected ally in Beth. As Josef begins to recover, they finally begin to plan in earnest for a final assault upon Kenderick's compound, which will hopefully end his reign forever.


	25. A Lamb Among Lions

A Lamb Among Lions:

To say that Cory was feeling nervous would have been an understatement. He was sitting in a house that was populated mostly by vampires, who, for all he knew could turn on him at any moment, because he was the son of the man who had nearly killed their leader. He wasn't just nervous, he was silently terrified.

However, the woman who led him into his house (into a living room that seemed to be located in the opposite direction of where all the vampires are situated), seemed utterly unconcerned about any possible danger. Indeed, Beth Turner seemed to consider living amongst vampires to be the most natural thing in the world. If all that he had seen could be trusted, she even seemed to be the girlfriend of Mick St. John, and truly in love with her.

He couldn't help but wonder how his father could be so willingly blind to the true nature of vampire society at large. Instead of using their immortality to lord it over humans, these at least seemed to be trying to rise above their failings.

Beth came back into the room, carrying two plates of food. "Here. I thought you might be hungry.

Cory stared at the food in confusion. "Vampires don't eat. Where did you get food?"

"Oh, Josef employs a full time cook. Most of the people who work for him are vampires, but he has enough humans that he likes to keep them well fed. Not to mention that according to him, the freshies also taste better when they're full."

Cory looked rather confused. "Freshies? What are freshies?"

"Oh, they're humans donors who voluntarily give vampires blood. Josef employs several of them, both male and female."

"They live here, on the estate? Isn't that a little, I don't know, morally questionable?"

"It might be, when it's done wrong. But the freshies are free to come and go as they please. And I lot of them are here on a rotational basis. Josef and Karlie both like to make sure that they never overfeed from any one donor."

"Oh, I see." Cory started to eat, having nearly forgotten how hungry he was. "But you're not a freshie, right?"

"No, I'm Mick's girlfriend."

Cory looked at her, still silently confused. "You say that as though it were completely normal. How did you even meet him? I can't imagine putting down that you're an immortal blood-drinking creature of the night on your on-line dating profile really helps you get dates."

"I met Mick in a very unusual way, actually. He saved me when I was a little girl. I was kidnapped by another vampire, and he found me. Over the years, he always was watching out for me, to make sure that nothing else happened to me. A few years ago, he and I met again and we began a relationship."

"Did you not know that he was a vampire?"

"Well, not at first. And when I did found out, I was a little freaked out, but as I got to know him, I was able to see the person that he was beyond that. Being a vampire doesn't define what you are, not in the ways that a lot of people think, at least."

"And have you never felt, I don't know, like you were ever unsafe? I mean, from what I saw of you and Mick, I don't think he would hurt you, but he is stronger than you. Have you ever been afraid that he might do something to you before he could stop himself, without even meaning to?"

"I trust him, Cory. I know that may not seem like much, but I just trust Mick enough to know that there will always be something which keeps him control around me."

"So, you don't feel like I am right now, like a lamb among lions?"

Beth looked at Cory for a long time. She could perhaps understand where he was coming. She had never had a reason to fear vampires. But Cory had been infected with a fear of them nearly his entire life, and it was clear that he didn't want to be in this place. "Cory, if there's anything that living with vampires has taught me over the years, it's that the lions can live alongside the lambs, if only both sides allow them to."

For the next hour, as they ate, Cory asked many questions about vampires. It was all the questions that he had wanted to ask before, but that he somehow knew his father would not be able to answer. Maybe seeking answers from a person like Beth Turner wasn't as wise, as she was clearly as biased as his own father might be, if on the other side of the issue. But he still needed to know. After all, there was no telling if these vampires would ever trust him enough to let him go. He should probably find out everything he could so that he, at least stood some chance of surviving.

As they were finishing the last of their food, the dark-haired vampire who Cory had heard called as Carlisle came into the room. Beth immediately rose to her feet. "How's Josef?" She asked, clearly concerned. "Will he be all right?"

"Josef is tougher than I think he makes himself out to be." Said Carlisle, as he sat down in a nearby chair, his face looking tired. "No other vampire, even one his age, would have been able to come out of the situation that he was in with any chance of recovery. I'm quite certain that Josef will recover, and far quicker than even I could have anticipated. He will be asleep for a few days, and given round the clock infusions of blood. But he should be back to his old self soon enough."

"And, Karlie?"

"Now that Josef is back safe and sound, her own symptoms will begin to subside as well. As you may imagine, she has refused to leave his side, and won't until Josef is back on his feet again."

Beth smiled. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from her. They are quite a pair those two. Even after all this time, I still can be surprised by how powerful their bond is."

"Yes, I even think there is a possibility that even as Josef's suffering was draining Karlie of her life, it might have been the feeling of her life which gave Josef the strength to go on. Love is truly the greatest healing force in the world, I doubt that science will ever be able to explain or replicate it." Carlisle turned to Cory, giving him a reassuring smile. "As for you, Cory, you have nothing to fear from anyone here. I have given specific orders that no one is to touch or threaten you in any way. I believe that you are innocent of any wrong doing and therefore are not to be associated with your father in his fate."

"Um, thanks, I guess." Said Cory.

"I also have arranged for you to stay at the guest house. I don't think that staying in the same house as vampires will be all that amenable to you."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you." Said Cory, who really didn't know what else to say.

"There were, however, some questions that I wanted to ask you. Some of them might be difficult for you."

Cory wasn't sure that he liked where this conversation was going. "What kind of questions?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"I need you to tell me about this compound of your father's, where it's located, the surrounding terrain, how many men that he might have posted inside. We're going to need everything we can get if we're going to have an edge over him."

Cory looked at Carlisle, realizing at once what the vampire was talking about. "You're… You're planning to kill my father, aren't you?" he said, in a quite voice.

A long moment of silence, wherein Cory heard all that he needed to know. Carlisle and Beth exchanged glances; this was going to be slightly more difficult than Carlisle had expected. "Cory, listen to me. I know that this has been difficult for you. I can't even begin to fathom what you must have gone through in these last twenty four hours. But you have to realize that your father cannot be allowed to continue his activities against our tribe. If he we drive him out of LA, he will only go elsewhere. We may never get another chance like this to stop him. He has hurt innocent people, Cory, people who never intended him or any other human any harm. And it's not just vampires that have suffered because of his activities."

"What do you mean?"

"Evampira, the miracle drug that your father is using vampire blood to make, it's not working. It actually does the opposite of healing. It kills humans because of the vampire blood inside of it. If more is allowed to be made, than more humans will die."

Cory closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was a lot to take in at once. His father hadn't even been able to leave one good thing behind him as a legacy. He had now brought the humans that he was sworn to protect into his sphere of violence and bloodshed. However, he couldn't go through with it. There were some lines, even now, that he could not cross.

"I know why you're asking me this." He said, at last, in a slow voice, "I know why you feel a need to protect yourself, and I don't know if I would stop you even if I could. I see what my father really is, what he has become. I know that he is a murderer, and I know that he needs to be stopped. It would be no more different than if the ones he had hunted were humans. That's justice. But if you're going to kill him, I don't want any part of it."

"Cory, listen to me-"

"No, you listen for once." Cory said, in a fierce tone that not even he knew he could possess, "I've been doing a lot of listening lately, and if you're as open-minded as you say you are, then the least you could do is extend the same courtesy to me. You're talking about my father. For all the things that he has done, that still means something to me. I can't be a party to killing him, not like this. I have made a lot of sacrifices for your people, and you're right, none of them have been easy. But this is one thing that you can't ask of me, so please, just forget it."

Before Carlisle could object further, Beth motioned for him to get up and follow her out of the room. With a resigned sigh, Carlisle got up and obeyed. Once they were in the hallway and the door was closed, Beth said, "Carlisle, he's right."

"Beth, the more information that we have, the more chance we will have at succeeding. This is out best chance to get Scott Kenderick and finish him once and for all. Cory is our best source of information."

"That may be, but unless your planning on exacting that information by force, I don't think you'll be getting anything out of him. Look, I want Kenderick stopped just as much as you do, but look at it from Cory's perspective. You can't expect him to help you kill his father, even if he may accept the necessity of it. Do you really want to put that kind of guilt on him? Don't you remember what it was like to even be thought of like that?"

Carlisle was silent, for she had argued him into a corner. Carlisle Duvall had not always been the accepted member of the community that he was now. In fact, there was a time, when his very name would have been enough to get him killed. He had come to America, fleeing the French Revolution, and rumors that he had been responsible for the death of his sire. Though the charges were unfounded, and ultimately untrue, the suspicion of it had haunted him for a long time, and had caused both him and those close to him a great deal of pain.

"You know me to well, Beth. You have made an argument that I cannot come up against. You are right, I could wish that sort of pain and guilt upon anyone, certainly not a boy like Cory, who has no one. Forgive me. As much as I try, sometimes, I forget how humans can feel these things."

Beth smiled softly, and put her hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "I think you remember very well, Carlisle. Sometimes, it's just hard to see things from so many different angles."

Carlisle returned the smile. "The day that you walked into Mick's life was a fortunate one for him. I can understand why he relies on you so much. Go back in, tell Cory I won't be bothering him about this anymore. We will be getting our information from other sources."

Beth nodded. "I think that's for the best. Mick was there, too. He is always good at picking up on things that a lot of other people might otherwise miss. And once Josef is recovered, something tells me that he will want to get his revenge as soon as he can."

* * *

><p>I hope that Cory's refusal to help the vampires is understandable, but still makes him a sympathetic character. I mean, that would have been a lot to ask of anyone, even if their father was a murdering psychopath. Besides, the good guys will win. Otherwise, there would be no point to writing these stories. Anyway, I hope that this was a good chapter. Please read and review.<p>

Also, a little update on my other stories that are in the works. I am in the planning process of my future Moonlight stories. I am undertaking an ambitious project that I think will be very interesting and exciting. In the next few weeks, I will be posting a few one shots that will set this up, since I am going to try and publish the two stories simultaneously. This is also to whet your appetite for new material. Most of these one shots will be to introduce new characters, primarily those of Josef's family. I have always wanted to expand Josef's family circle, so this is my opportunity to do that. Also, since one of my stories will be a crossover with Hawaii Five O, I want to introduce that world to people who might be less familiar with it.

Anyway, those should be up sometime in December. So, let me know what you think.

Next chapter: Now that Josef has recovered, they must begin to strategize for the final confrontation with Kenderick.


	26. Strategy

Sorry for the long delay on this chapter. My life has been very hectic and crazy lately. But here is the next chapter, enjoy.

Strategy:

When Josef awoke from the medically induced coma, which he had been in for the last five days, the first thing that he saw was Karlie's relieved face smiling down at him. It was probably this sight as much as anything else that enabled him to begin his complete recovery. By the end of that day, he was able to sit up and walk a little. Little less than two days later, he was more or less back to himself, though still a little weakened from his torturous encounter with Scott Kenderick.

It was only at this time that he was informed of what was happening in his city since he had turned over power to Carlisle. It seemed that between the hunters and the vampires, a stalemate had grown up. Neither side seemed very willing to make any sort of move. However, now that Josef was back to full health, he was itching to plan the ultimate strike. He wanted to have the chance to wipe Kenderick off the map for good.

However, there was some tension about how best to take care of that between Karlie and Josef. It had been five days since Josef had woken up, and he was now back to his normal strength. As they were waiting for the others to arrive for a meeting of strategy in how best to take down Kenderick, Karlie brought up the topic of Cory. "Josef, why haven't you posted any guards around the guesthouse? Cory is there."

"Yes, he is, but I don't think we need to treat his with such suspicion. He's going through a hard enough time as it is"

"Josef, don't you see that our best chance to get Kenderick under control is to see to it that Cory doesn't escape?"

"Karlie, Cory doesn't want to escape. He's not the threat that you make him out to be."

"I can't believe that you're being so protective of him, Josef. Have you forgotten whose son he is?"

"I only remember that he's the one who helped me at great risk to himself. He even fed me his blood. He went against everything he had ever been taught for the sole chance of being about to save me. I'm not going to repay him buy making him a prisoner."

"You're being so short sighted."

"Karlie, stop thinking that you know what's best for my life. I handled myself fine for four hundred years before I ever met you."

Karlie took a step back when she heard this, and it was clear to both of them that Josef had gone a step to far. Taking a deep breath, he got to his feet, and came over Karlie. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he said, "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I shouldn't have said that. But, you have got to understand. Cory saved my life; I can't repay the favor by treating him like some kind of criminal. He's not guilty, Karlie. I've tangled with a lot of hunters in my day, and there is no hint of anything like that in Cory. He's… well, he's innocent for lack of a better word."

Karlie still wasn't sure if she could trust that, but there was such earnestness in Josef's expression that she conceded. "I'll at least try to see your point. But I still don't like it."

"Try to forgive Cory, Sweetheart. The rarer action is in virtue rather then revenge. I think that Shakespeare knew what he was talking about in this case."

Karlie was able to laugh a little. "You're the one who's preaching restraint to me? This is a change. It's usually the other way around."

"Perhaps I just want to expand my horizons. Now, the others should be here in just a few minutes. Let's try and put this behind us, all right? We need to present a united front after all."

Josef's predictions were not far off. It was only about fifteen minutes later that Carlisle (still officially the Elder of Los Angeles until Josef took over those duties at sunset the next evening), Amanda, who would be coordinating the Cleaners, Mick and Beth.

"I don't think that I have to elaborate why we are here." Said Josef, "This could be our best and only chance to take care of Scott Kenderick once and for all. Unfortunately, I think that we all know how clever he can be. We have to make sure that we are one step ahead of him at all times."

"That might mean that the best time to attack would be at dawn." Said Amanda, "If they're serious hunters, they have adapted their own habits to that of their prey, which means that they are most watchful at night. At dawn, their guard would be down and we could make a penetration of the area much easier."

"The information that Mick brought back to us indicates that the compound where Kenderick makes his main base is in an old airline hanger." Carlisle indicated an area on the screen of his iPad, which was currently showing a satellite of the Southwestern Los Angeles outskirts. "There are many outbuildings there, most likely left over from an army or merchant base. Those could be barracks for the hunters, as well as weapons storage. All told, he could easily have as many as fifty men on that compound."

"We need to take that into account no matter what our plan turns out to be." Said Karlie, "We have to make sure that we know where Kenderick is, so that he doesn't slip out during the chaos. He and any ringleaders he has are the ones which we need to take care of."

"True," said Josef, "Though ideally we should take care of all the hunters, realistically we won't be able to get all of them. However, the hangers-on probably won't be much of a threat without a strong force to unite and guide them. Killing vampires en masse like Kenderick does requires a head for strategy, which most hired mercenaries and thugs don't possess."

"When I was there, there were about two dozen men inside the main building." Said Mick, "My rough estimates based off of these satellite pictures makes me think that that there be at least three dozen more divided amongst the rest of the buildings. The best places for us to launch an assault would be around the south and east corners. There's a lot of wood cover there that we can make use of, and it will also hide our numbers."

"What about cover for when we get inside the compound?" said Josef, "Once we get inside, I'm sure that we'll be encountering resistance. If we can get some idea of the lay of the land, we'll have a better chance of standing against them."

"There's a lot of piles of old equipment lying everywhere." Said Mick, "I think that we could make use of them for cover from any fire."

"And just what sort of firepower are we dealing with?" Said Beth, "I can only imagine that it's not something that vampires could deal against?"

"If they're real hunters, than they'll be armed with bullets of silver and flame throwers." Said Josef, "We're going to have to be careful."

"I think I know a way that we can get a leg up." Said Mick, "When I was there, I noticed that everyone was wearing communication devices of some sort. Looking back at the satellite pictures, I was able to discover that there's a lot of radio interference going on in that area. Kenderick is using technology to keep in touch with all of his guards simultaneously. If we can disrupt their communications, one side of the compound won't be able to know what the other is doing."

"So, if we figure out the signals on which they're transmitting, we can jam them?" said Beth.

"Exactly." Said Mick.

"I'll get Ryder and your buddy Logan on it, right away." Said Josef, "I think that we should take them along with us to make sure that we're always jamming them as opposed to the other way around. They can stay off-road in one of the Cleaner's vans. I'm sure that you have one of those?"

"I can get one outfitted in less than twelve hours." Said Amanda, "In terms of the numbers that we have, I've put all shifts on alert, and they're ready whenever you give the word. With your security forces that should make us about even with them."

"I hope so." Said Mick, "This is one fight that I don't want to have to repeat twice."

"There might be something else which we have to think of." Said Carlisle, "That is the other vampires who are in Kenderick's custody. According to Mick, most of them are still alive. If there is a chance that we can save any of them, we must try."

"There might also be a chance that Kenderick could barricade himself in there and use them as collateral for his release." Said Amanda.

"Then I think we need to make capturing and securing that room against any of Kenderick's followers our first priority." Said Josef.

"That room is actually fairly easily to get into." Said Mick, "Since the vamps are staked and so weak they can hardly move, Kenderick doesn't seem to have much security there, and it's right on the southeast corner, only about twenty yards from the forest cover. If we could get there without being seen, we could fan out through the rest of the compound in groups, and each one would know where to go."

They all agreed that this was the best plan. And they spent the better part of an hour planning which groups would go where, and who would comprise those same groups. It seemed that they had more than a workable plan to sustain them, and it was as fortified against any happenstance as it could be. However, they had forgotten one small element.

"What about me?" Beth asked, quite innocently, once they had come to their final plan, "Where do you want me?"

At this question, the talking around her ceased and all eyes turned to her, clearly questioning, and on Mick's part, more than a little guilty. Beth looked from one face to another. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Beth, are you sure that it's wise to think about being involved with this?" Karlie questioned.

Beth folded her arms stubbornly. "I have a stake in this as much as any of you. This is my family, and I want to defend it."

"But you don't have any training." Mick pointed out.

"Oh, is this about me not being a vampire?" Beth questioned fiercely, "I thought that we had moved past that."

"Beth, this is serious. You've seen how these guys operate. I say this as honestly as I have to, without any sort of reflection on what you might be: you can't fight this battle with me."

"I'm not just going to leave to get killed either."

"I'm not going to get killed."

"How can you be certain of that?"

"All right, you two, enough!" said Josef, "Now isn't the time to get into that argument."

Josef's stern tone brought both Mick and Beth back down to earth. Josef was the most dominant person in the room, and though he didn't usually make demonstrative use of it in the midst of his friends, right now, he knew that he had to keep control of personal issues, otherwise all of their planning would be for nothing. And both Mick and Beth were not immune to it.

"Mick is right, Beth." Said Josef, a little more gently once he was sure that he had their attention. "I can't let you go out there. If it were any other situation, I would consider it. You've been a great asset to the community, and you've prove yourself cable of taking care of yourself on more than once occasion, but this is different. If I let you fight, you wouldn't last two seconds. You would either get killed, and Mick would turn suicidal, or he would be of no use to anyone because he was constantly worrying about you. I know you don't like being left out, but this is for everyone's safety, not just yours."

Beth reluctantly nodded, seeing the wisdom of Josef's statement, and knowing, however much she hated to admit it, that he was right. Karlie, seeing Beth's disappointment, said, "Perhaps a compromise might be in order. If Beth wants to be close to Mick, she can listen in with Ryder and Logan while they're monitoring the battle. She can come out once the bulk of the fighting is done."

"Would that be all right with you, Beth?" said Josef, "You would have to stay in the van, actually stay there and not sneak out like you sometimes do."

Beth, after a moment of thought, nodded. "All right, if that's the price I have to pay for being with Mick, than I'll do it. I promise I won't try and interfere."

"And it will be all right with me." Said Mick, "I didn't want to be far away from you this fight, Beth. I'll be glad that you're there once all this is over."

That problem having been resolved to everyone's satisfaction, it was decided that a we hours sleep was needed. If their normal schedules were going to be reversed, then they would be needed the extra energy. So, they all dispersed to their own homes, knowing that the next time they met, it would be with the understanding that they would be going to war. Scott Kenderick, they were determined, would not live to see another hunt.

* * *

><p>At Josef's guest house, Cory Reeves had spent the last few days in a nervous stupor. He really had nothing to do or say to anyone. Though he did not necessarily fear anymore that he would be mauled by a vampire, at the same time, he knew that he didn't really have anything in common with any of them. He was beginning to think that perhaps his father was right in one thing: humans and vampires shouldn't mix. For some humans, perhaps, it could work. But for the majority, they were just too different for there to be any real sort of understanding between the two races yet.<p>

They knew what they were doing. He knew that they were planning his father's death. He couldn't bring himself to blame them. His father was obviously guilty of murder, and he needed to meet justice for his crimes. That didn't make the prospect of such a thing any easier for him to endure. Because, for all that he finally saw what his father was, he still loved him. The bonds of family are hard, if not impossible, to break. Cory knew his father would always be a part of him, and for all their understanding, he knew that was something the vampires around him would never be able to share.

So, he remained apart and alone, unsure of what his future would be. Until, he heard a knock at the door. Thinking that it was probably just another delivery of the food, he opened the door without thinking, and when he saw who was standing on the doorstep, he froze in complete shock.

"Simone?"

Sure enough, there was Simone, with Travis standing behind her, and in their eyes was a look of such understanding and sympathy that Cory could hardly speak. He had thought that after basically walking out on them without a word, he wouldn't be welcomed back into his family. But, like the prodigal son, they had simply been waiting for him to see the truth and come home.

Simone didn't need to give him any words. Cory didn't need to say any. He didn't try to fight the tears that now fell from his eyes, as he went into Simone's arms, seeking comfort from the people who would understand.

* * *

><p>Please, read and review.<p>

Next chapter: Before the battle begins, our favorite vampire couples have a night to themselves. For Karlie and Josef, it is a chance to reaffirm their bond. For Mick and Beth, it is an understanding that has been a long time in coming, to finally share eternity together.


	27. Immortal Beloved

I couldn't have this story without there being some romance.

Immortal Beloved:

The mansion had been bustling with activity for the last few days. Now, that everyone was gone, a silence had descended upon its rooms, though not one of hopelessness and despair. In fact, for Karlie and Josef, it was peaceful, at last.

Josef approached his wife in the living room, once the last of the cars had pulled away. The doors to the patio were open, allowing a light breeze to come through the room, bringing with it the scent of night, a time when the senses of vampires were heightened. Josef inhaled, lingering on the scent of the night and the scent of Karlie all rolled so perfectly into one. It seemed like a very long time since he had smelled that. He had thought that he would never be able to again.

"Well, I suppose that it's just the two of us."

"Yes, finally, I should say." Josef came up to her, and put his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Karlie leaned her head against Josef's chest, savoring the feeling of being in his arms once again, exactly where she belonged. "I'm sorry," she said, after a moment of silence, "I shouldn't have been so stubborn about Cory. After all that he did to save you, I really should have been more understanding."

Josef placed a light kiss on her bare shoulder. "I know that these last few weeks have been difficult, for both of us. We shouldn't be arguing now, not when we've just come back together."

Karlie turned in his arms, and the two of them exchanged a long, smoldering look. Josef pulled her closer against him. He leaned his forehead against hers, simply reveling in the fact that he cold stand so close to her and allow his senses to be filled with her. It had been the worst torture of all to be separated from her, to feel her pain and know there was nothing he cold do stop it.

Karlie felt the same, he could tell. "I don't think either of us has been through anything like this before."

"No, and we're still not at the end of it. However this ends, it will be dangerous for both of us. But, I don't want to focus on that tonight." He bent his head to kiss her, gently, tenderly, before he swept her up in his arms. "Tonight, it's just you and me."

"I don't think you'll be hearing any arguments from me." Said Karlie.

They continued to kiss, as Josef carried her up to the stairs to the aster bedroom. He lowered her to her feet, pushing the door closed behind them. Karlie, immediately started to pull him towards the bed, but Josef stopped her. "No," he said, as he pulled back into his arms, "I want this to last."

He had to reacquaint himself with every aspect of her, remind himself of all the reasons why he loved her. The moonlight flooding through the wide French doors of the room. It cast Karlie's pale skin in such a way that she almost seemed to glow. Her dark hair fell in soft waves around her face. His hands reached up to run his hands through her soft curls. They traveled down to his neck, stroking her skin in the tenderest manner that could be imagined. Karlie's breath caught, and she closed her eyes and leaned in Josef's fingers. She allowed herself to surrender to the sensations that Josef was stirring within her, sensations which, up until a few days ago, she had never though that she would ever experience again. Josef could do whatever he desired to her that night, it was he who needed this tonight, just as much as she.

Josef claimed Karlie's mouth once more. It was not the light, sweet kisses which had brought them up into the bedroom. This kiss was slow, languorous and increasingly passionate. Josef's hands slipped under Karlie's shirt, caressing her smooth skin, relishing her shivers of pleasure. He loved the fact that he was the only one who could elicit such a reaction from her, the only one who could control her physically like this.

His arms wrapped around her wait, exerting his strength, he pushed against the wall, continuing to taste her, and allow her scent to assault his senses. He began undoing the buttons of Karlie's blouse, needing to feel her sin moving with friction against his own.

It didn't take them long to discard their clothing. Josef was to feel his inner vampire asserting itself. He was thirsty for her blood, yearning to reestablish that connection they shared, he wanted to claim her once again as wholly his.

But he didn't want to bite her just yet. If he did, he would lose control, and it would be over to soon. He wanted to make this moment last as long as possibly could.

Josef pulled Karlie onto the bed, touching and kissing her in all the ways that he knew would give her the most pleasure. He heard her moans and cries of pleasure, savoring them as much as he was her skin.

He couldn't control himself for very much longer. Coming back to her throat, her scent assaulted him, exotic, enticing, one of a kind. He could feel his own blood begin to race with anticipation at the taste of it. When his fangs descended and his eyes went silver. He knew that he couldn't wait any longer.

By instinct, he knew exactly where to bite Karlie to elicit not only the most pleasurable reaction, but also to the point where her blood would taste the sweetest. His ministrations had already unleashed enough arousal into her bloodstream to where Josef was certain that she would taste exquisite. But not even Josef was expecting the reaction he felt when he tasted Karlie's blood. The instant her blood hit his tongue; it instantly thrilled him, in a way that he had never before experienced. She tasted sweet and entrancing. They had never been separated in such a manner before, and their bond had weakened as a result. Now, Josef felt it singing through his veins, strengthening and humming with life. Josef finally felt alive again, and he wondered a new how he could ever have lived without it.

Karlie was apparently feeling the same thing. The moment Josef's fangs had penetrated her skin; she had begun to groan with hunger, her own vampire coming loose with her desire. She writhed beneath Josef, trying to get into a position where she could bite him. But Josef wasn't finished. For just a moment, he exerted his greater strength, pinning Karlie beneath him. He wanted his own chance to savor her blood before she got her chance with him.

And she did. He soon had enough, though it was more than he normally took her during their passionate nights. The result was that Karlie was almost sluggish for a few moments after he withdrew his fangs, just in a haze of pleasure. Josef found himself taking a moment to preen his ego. He was the only one who could push to the very edge of her endurance, no mean feat for a woman like her.

Of course, she was just as capable of doing the same to him, and she was nowhere near her breaking point. In matters of sex, Josef had been as attentive as he had been with everything else. No sooner had the haze worn off, then Karlie immediately had jerked Josef's throat down to her to drink greedily from him.

From there, all coherent thought became lost, as Josef and Karlie lost themselves in a sea of pleasure.

* * *

><p>When Beth and Mick got back to their apartment, he asked her, "Are you all right? You didn't say much on the ride over."<p>

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"You're not still mad about our disagreement at Josef's, are you?" said Mick. On the eve of going into battle, he did not want there to be any bad blood between them.

"No, I'm fine. He was right; I couldn't be in the midst of this fight. No matter how much I might have wanted to. But I'm glad that I'll be able to be close to you."

"That will be the best gift for me." Said Mick. He stepped closer to her, and taking her in his arms, kissed her deeply. Once he was facing her again, the vampire inside him had already turned his eyes seductive silver. "Right now, I think that I want to be really close to you."

"I could get into that." Said Beth, "I'm all yours."

"And don't you forget it." Said Mick, as he swept her up in his arms, and carried her up the stairs to the bedroom.

Beth was already working the buttons of his shirt, running her fingers over his skin and kissing him on the neck. As Mick placed her on the bed, however, it was almost as if a change had overtaken him. "Beth, wait." Said Mick, reluctantly prying a very unwilling Beth away from his neck. "I have to tell you something."

"Can't it wait?" said Beth, breathily as she tried to attack Mick's neck again.

"No, no it can't.' said Mick, as he pushed Beth back and with both arms guided her down to the bed beneath him. "Just hear me out, okay? I need to get this out, and if I don't do it now, I don't know if I'll ever find the courage to say it again."

"Mick, what is it?" Beth had not seen Mick looking so serious in a long time. In fact, the only time that she could remember seeing him like this was when he had first confessed his love for her nearly three years before. She was not sure if she should be assured or nervous.

Mick took a deep breath. He had never though that he would say these words, but now, he knew that if he didn't, this one moment of lost opportunity would haunt him for the rest of his life. "Beth, I love you. You know how much I do. But I've never been able to bring myself to contemplate turning you, because, well, for many reasons. Lately, the man reason wasn't so much that I didn't want to, it was because I wanted you to have the best possible experience as a fledgling that you could have. Now, all of that's changed."

Beth was stunned. She could feel her heart beat faster with anticipation of Mick's next words. "It has?"

"Yes, I don't know how to explain it, Beth. If anything, the presence of vampire hunters should have signaled to me how dangerous it if for you to be a vampire, but you have handled yourself with so much strength ad courage during this time. But at the same time, you've been at a disadvantage, you haven't been able to help those you love in the way that I know you can. That's not fair for you. Plus, it's made me realize just how fragile life, all life is. There are never any guarantees, which is all the more reason why we need to cherish thee time we have with those we love.' He paused, and then plunged headlong into the unknown. "So, when all this is over Beth, you name the day and the time, if you still want me to, it will be my joy and honor to turn you."

Beth could hardly believe her ears. After so many months of waiting for him to say those words, actually hearing them was better than she could ever have imagined. She threw her arms around Mick's neck, and said, "Mick, thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

"I hope I do." Said Mick, feeling as though he had finally come to where he was supposed to be after nearly eight decades.

Beth faced him once again. Her face was serious. "Mick, you know that I can' think f anything better than spending eternity with you. I love you so much."

"I love you, too. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to finally understand this is what I wanted."

Beth put her fingers on his lips, to stop his words. "Shh, shh, don't say things like that. We're both here, ready to take the first step together, that's all that matters."

"Yes," said Mick, after a moment, "I suppose you're right." He bent forward and nuzzled her neck, inhaling the rich scent of her blood. He felt his vampire churning with satisfaction as he realized that very soon, she would be able to drink from him, and her blood would be his. "I'm going to look forward to being your guardian angel a lot longer."

Beth moaned softly, as his scraped against her skin. "Not as much as I am going to be finally returning the favor."

* * *

><p>The moon had risen high in the sky over LA, its pale light casting a beautiful interplay of shadow and glow across the earth. In the grand bedroom of the Koston mansion, it lit up the two people nestled together in a soft radiance.<p>

Their thirst was slaked. Their bodies sated. The bond once more connecting them heart to heart and soul to soul, more effectively than steel would have been able to.

Logically, they should have bee heading towards the freezer, to finally get some rest. However, neither wanted to break the spell that their lovemaking had cast. They simply wanted to be with each other.

Josef was weaving his fingers through her hair, running them down her bare shoulders, and back again, occasionally leaving a few light kisses down their path. Karlie was nestled in his arms, basking quietly in his presence and scent. Everything was right with the world.

"It will be dawn soon." Said Josef, at last. "Doesn't give up much time to catch up on our rest."

"You told them to be here then" said Karlie, turning to look at him.

"We're attacking Kenderick's compound in little more than 24 hours." Josef said, "We're going to need time to prepare."

"Yes, I suppose we should head to the freezer."

"Almost a shame to end it." Said Josef. He kissed her lightly in the lips, before leaning his forehead against her's, looking down into her eyes with infinite tenderness. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being here, with me. Being my immortal beloved."

Karlie smiled. "Immortal beloved, I could get used to that."

"I'll make a note of it."

On one night, two couples would reaffirm their present, and open the door to a new future, before the battle which would change them forever.

* * *

><p>And I think we are all thinking the same thing when it comes to Mick and Beth: FINALLY! Of course, there will still be some obstacles to overcome before Beth can b turned. We still have horde of vampire hunters to take care of. That will be taken care of very soon. Please read and review in the meantime.<p>

Next chapter: Preparations are set in motion for the battle. Mick and Josef share one final moment which cements their friendship in even deeper bonds of blood and family.


	28. Blood Brothers

I hope that everyone had a lovely and merry Christmas. This chapter actually addresses something that I always thought was very interesting in the last four episodes of Moonlight. You really see Mick loosening up and getting more comfortable in his vampire skin. I think a great deal of that has to do with Josef and him turning Mick. That was never really addressed, of course, so this is my way of remedying that.

Blood Brothers:

Dawn was not a normal time for vampires to be up and stirring. However, in the battle against Kenderick, preparation would be key, and this was the only time when that preparation could be done. Beth and Mick, along with Carlisle and Amanda, were at the mansion to put the finishing touches on their plans.

Beth and Mick, despite the somewhat serious nature of what would be taking place over the next twenty-four hours seemed to be in remarkably good spirits. They were both exchanging secret smiles and their behavior was that of two young lovebirds. It was obvious that something major in the dynamics of their relationship had changed.

Josef was going to get to the bottom of it if he could. He always liked to pry, or as he called it, making sure that Mick was on the right track with his personal life. He and Mick were making sure that the weapons they would be using to infiltrate the compound were in proper working order. "How's Cory?" Mick asked, "I haven't seen him around."

"Can you blame him?" said Josef, "I've been trying to shield him, but he's too perceptive. He knows that this is only going to end one way for his father. That's why I'm not asking him anything about the compound. I might want to stop Kenderick, but not even I can ask a son to go against his father."

Mick looked at Josef, with a half smile on his face. "Sounds like he's left an impression on you."

"Well, it's not the son of every hunter who would be willing to risk everything to save a vampire. I've got him down at the guest house. Simone and Travis are down there, giving him some company from his own kind and family. I'm hoping he'll be able to make something of his life once this whole thing is over."

"So, you're going to let him go?"

"I have no case against him. He's never killed a vampire. I'm convinced he didn't even know about us until his father told him. He doesn't want this."

"None of this can be easy." Said Mick, after a moment, "I'm sure that he's felt like he's been in some sort of nightmare ever since he found himself with us."

"I know, and his father doesn't been seem to be worried about him. Hasn't called or anything."

Mick could hear the edge in his voice, and he knew where it came from. He had only met one member of Josef's turned family, but that had been enough for him to know that family was the most important thing to Josef as a vampire. He was extremely protective and loyal of those who he considered part of his own. The idea that Kenderick had apparently abandoned his own son no doubt only lowered Josef's opinion of the hunter.

Mick was brought out of his thoughts when he saw Josef suddenly leaning against the counter. His eyes were slightly glazed, and he was coughing sharply. "Josef, hey, are you all right?"

Josef had to take a few moments to answer, before shaking his head. "I'm fine, Mick. Residual effects of Kendrick's torture. Carlisle and I might still be feeling them for a few months."

"Do you need me to get him or-"

Josef put his hand on Mick's shoulder, stopping him. "Calm down, mother hen. I just need to sit for a few minutes. The spells pass quickly enough."

Reluctantly, Mick saw down and the two of them say in companionable silence for a time. "So, tell me, what had Beth so excited when she came up with you this morning?" Josef finally asked.

Mick looked at Josef. "You're being uncharacteristically blunt with your questions about my personal life."

"Hey, I'm not my unusual sneaky self. Cut me some slack. Are you going to tell me or do we need to play twenty questions?"

"Well, I suppose you'll be finding out sooner or later. I told Beth last night that I would turn her."

"Congrats, buddy." Said Josef, slapping Mick on the back and grinning hugely. "Finally. It's about time."

"Okay, okay, stop crowing at my expense. Yes, I finally agreed to turn Beth, and yes, she is thrilled."

"Tell me, what prompted this change of heart last time we talked about this, you were dead set against the idea."

"Let's just say that recent events have made me realize just how fragile life can be. I don't want to run the risk of losing her when I could have the chance to have her with me forever."

"I'm glad that to hear that." Said Josef, "You'll love being a sire, Mick. It really adds spice to the relationship."

"Yeah, about that, I think that there's something I need to tell you."

"What about?"

"It's something that Carlisle told me while you were under. He was taking some DNA tests, when he came across something he wasn't expecting."

"What did he find?"

"He found my DNA intermixed with yours."

Josef turned and looked at him, his obvious surprise showing on his face. "How is that possible?"

"He got a lot of medical reasons for it. Apparently, he's dedicated a great deal of attention to the process of changing, not just in the fledging, but in the sire as well. Form what he told me, the DNA of the two parties becomes spliced into both of them. He says that's what makes the bond between a sire and fledging possible."

Josef was getting a little befuddled with all the medical talk, but he could tell that the end result would be important. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Carlisle said that he expected to find Coaline's DNA in with mine, but there was none there. There was only yours. He basically said that made you my sire."

"From when I turned you." Said Josef, "But you would have reverted back to being a vampire anyway."

"The cure would have reverted me to how I was before I was turned. I was essentially wiped clean when I took the cur, though, before you turned me back."

"I see. So, that means you and Coraline…"

"Aren't joined in anyway. I'm not even related to her family. Except for Carlisle, I can't tell you what a relief that was for me to find out. From what Carlisle told me, the presence of my DNA in your system and vice versa. It meant that I'm more part of your family than the Duvalls."

This information made Josef pause. He and Mick had both known that there had been a change in their friendship since he had turned him back into a vampire three years before. Mick had seemed to be more accepting of himself, and Coraline, though she would always be a part of Mick's life, had become part of the past. The self-loathing which had clung to him and distorted so many things had gradually faded. It had been replaced with acceptance and peace.

Josef hadn't liked to think at first that he alone could wrought such a change in Mick. Along with the intense loyalty he felt towards those who had gained his trust, there was also a reluctance to have such strong attachments be formed. But now, in light of all that had happened in the last few weeks, Josef actually found that he welcomed the news. He had come to realize that perhaps the only thing that scared him more than losing Karlie, was losing Mick.

"So, that really does make us brothers, does it?" he said, at last.

"Yeah, I guess it does." Said Mick.

"In that case, I should probably tell Frederich that he has another son. He'll certainly be thrilled to find out that it's you."

"And what do you have to say about it?"

"What, are we discussing feelings now?" seeing that Mick was serious, Josef tried to answer the question more appropriately. "Honestly, Mick, I'm glad. After all that we've been through together, all we mean to each other, I'm glad that it was all leading up to something." He cleared his throat and looked away. Emotional confessions like this were not easy for him, not when nearly an entire existence had depended upon him keeping a tight lid on what he was really feeling, and not letting anyone in. "You mean a lot to me, Mick. I don't know if until the night you asked me to turn you, if you even knew that."

Mick put a hand on Josef's shoulder. "I think that we know that now, brother."

Josef smiled back at Mick, a rare show from him of genuine affection. "And I don't intend to let either of us forget it anytime soon, brother."

It was but a moment, and admittedly, it was not many words. For Mick and Josef, however, it was more than enough. "There is one more thing I want to ask you." Said Mick.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to turn Beth when all this is over. I would like you there with me when I do it. I've never turned anyone before. I want to be sure that I do it right."

"You shouldn't doubt yourself, Mick. When you've been turned by the best, you always know how. But, if it's what you want, I'll gladly help."

* * *

><p>Hope that you liked this little foray into bromance. Who doesn't love a good bit of that, huh? This story is almost done, there will only be a few more chapters after this, so I hope that you enjoy the way I tie all of this together. Please read and review.<p>

Next chapter: The vampires finally come face to face with the hunters, and the battle begins.


	29. Red Dawn

Well, here is the moment that I think all of you have been waiting for: The final epic confrontation between the hunters and the vampires. Hope that it meets everyone's expectations.

Red Dawn:

As the sun rose upon the day which the vampires of Los Angeles had decided upon assaulting the compound of Scott Kenderick, the sky was bathed in red. It was an omen, perhaps, even for the less superstitious of the vampires among the fighters. Only the end of the day would determine if it were the blood of the hunters or the blood of the vampires which would run deeper.

Along the back roads of LA, the vans made their silent way to the compound. No words were exchanged, only meaningful glances. Many of the assembled vampires had been with each other for decades. They knew how to read each other without words. They all knew what was at stake: their very survival. All of them were willing to die to protect their way of life.

The plan had already been gone over. Each person knew where they were supposed to go, and who they would be following. Josef, Mick, and Karlie would be in charge of three of the five units. Karlie had actually taken the most dangerous assignment of penetrating the main barracks on the compound and securing the lab. That meant there was a good chance that she could run into Kenderick. Josef hadn't liked it, but in the end, he had realized it was useless to try and fight. He knew that one of them would have to face Kenderick before this was over. Karlie probably had the best right of any of them.

The most moving farewell had come from Mick and Beth. It was clear that neither of them liked the idea of leaving each other. But Mick had whispered in Beth's ear that he was doing this for her, so that he could show her the ways of a vampire in peace. And Beth had responded that he had better come back. He had made a promise, and she was going to make sure that nothing stood in the way of him keeping that promise.

The attack commenced. The first three of the vampire units cut through the fence on the southeast corner, using the forest cover to hide their full numbers from the hunters. As half of them flooded into the compound and began to attack the guards who were on watch, the rest of them began to fire from the trees. It didn't take long for word of the attack to spread like wildfire amongst the hunters of the compound. Soon enough, the guards were joined by more hunters, until it was pretty much even on both sides.

This attack was as much diversion as it was frontal assault. While the main battle was going on, two more vampire units slipped through the fence on the western side. It was on this side that had the most outlying warehouses. The vampires moved like lightening to dismantle and destroy them. Any caches of weapons were destroyed so that they couldn't be used, and any men that they found who hadn't been quick enough to join the sounds of battle were killed or run off.

Kenderick's men had been expecting those back-ups of weapons and men, but when it became apparent from the rising smoke on the western side of the compound, that no such reinforcements were coming, the humans were caught off-guard. They wavered for just one moment, wondering just what chance they had of winning against vengeful and clearly deadly vampires.

In and amongst all of these hunters, had been Louis Thompson. Employing his skills as a strategist and his awesome strength, he cut a swath of destruction through the ranks of the vampires. He was the men's main commander, and it was to him that they looked for their next move. He quickly realized what the vampires were trying to do, and he moved his men to intercept them. It was not long before the hunters began to give the vampires back as good as they got.

In the thick of the action were Josef and Mick, employing all of their many combined centuries into the fight. They were quite a sight to behold on the battlefield. Josef was moving with the grace and deadly precision of a vampire who had seen more than 400 years of battle, and could almost seem to detect how his opponents would move before they made them. Mick was much more hands on in his approach. Instead of waiting for the enemy to come to him, he went after each target with a systematic intent to kill. He was able to make a split second of desicion of how to attack each new target and how to bring them down. The two of them were never far away from each other, and though their backs may have been turned, they were always attuned to what the other was doing, and often their combined efforts took out more than just what one of them could have done on his own. Together, they were utterly deadly.

They soon realized what Louis was planning. They knew that in order to demoralize the hunters, they would have to take care of him. So, he became their primary target.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Karlie's unit had managed to breach the compound's main building, where Kenderick kept this lab. They were clearing the building, making sure that there would be no surprise reinforcements that the other units would have to deal with. They were already in difficult straits as it was.<p>

Up until this point, the units had been in near constant communication with each other, each leader knowing where the other was and what they were doing. However, as Karlie and her team approached the heart of the building, Kenderick's lab, their communication suddenly went dead.

"Kenderick." Said Karlie, "He must have some sort of dampening field set up around the lab. He knew that we would be coming this way."

"What should we do?" said Carlisle, who had opted to come along with Karlie when it had been decided that she would be the one to breach the main building and secure the lab. He had wanted to be able to begin treating the other vampires there as soon as possible. "Without communication, we won't be able to call for help should things grow dangerous."

Karlie took a moment to consider their options, but there was only one that she knew she could pursue. "We won't be getting another chance like this." She said, "We have to go forward if we're going to end this. Keep sharp, all of you, even more so than usual."

The group started forward again, this time even more cautiously than before. The door at the end of the hallway was the one which Karlie recognized as being the entrance to Kenderick's laboratory. From the moment they had begun their assault, there had been no sighting of him. But she was certain that he was in there. Motioning her people to keep behind her, she and Carlisle moved forward to the door. They opened it, and proceeded into the laboratory. There was a definite shudder of horror at the sight of the dozens of vampires lying on the tables. It was the slaughterhouse that Mick described, with a healthy dose of a macabre haunted house to go with it.

"I'm so pleased that you all could join me." Kenderick's voice broke through the tense silence, and he appeared at the other end of the room. Immediately, all the vampires in the room tensed, and began to assess him for any sign of just what kind of threat he posed. He was wearing loose, comfortable clothing, ideal for fighting in. He was armed with only one shot gun, but it was a certainty that he had ammo and back up. His entire manner was easy and confidant. However, it was also clear that he was watching them as closely they were, and that he would not be taking any stupid chances.

Karlie motioned for the majority of her team to stay back. This was her fight; she would be going one on one with Kenderick. It had been one that she had been waiting for many years. She also didn't want to give Kenderick anymore targets than were necessary. She and Carlisle moved forward, but Kenderick held up one hand. "I wouldn't do that if I were." He held up the other hand, in which was clutched a black device that looked like some sort of remote. "I thought that you would be coming to this location first if you were ever be able to find my compound. Therefore I have taken the necessary precautions. No doubt you have noticed that your communications have suddenly gone out."

"We have actually." Said Karlie, adopting the same casual tone that Kenderick was using. "But you'll notice that we still came. And would I be right in assuming that you're planning on using these vampires as leverage in order to negotiate your escape?"

"In a manner of speaking. You are very perspective, Mrs. Koston."

"I have always tried to stay one step ahead of the opponent, no matter what game we're playing."

"Well, it seems that you haven't come close enough." Said Kenderick, "It's true that these vampires are still alive. Some of them might even be able to be saved. However, you have come too late."

"Have we?" questioned Karlie, as she took another step. "It seems to me that whatever action you take here, it will be only to your ruin. We have your compound surrounded, Kenderick. Even as we speak, your followers are being cut down. In a few hours, we will have control of this facility and you will be stopped from hunting for good." This was all a bluff on Karlie's part. She didn't know exactly if the vampires were so far along in subduing the compound. But, there was no reason for Kenderick to know that, of course.

Kenderick shrugged. He seemed to consider the matter of no importance whatsoever. "Perhaps what you say is true. Maybe the rest of your friends will be able to stop me. Perhaps this is my last hunt, but I'm going to make sure that I can cause as much damage as I can before that happens. I could kill all of these vampires in this room quite simply with just a simple press of this button." He held up the control that he had been carrying. "This device sends a signal to the computers that control the vampires' physical functions. It will release a silver chemical into their bodies which is incapable of being treated once released into the bloodstream. Not only will these vampires die, but they will die in agony, suffering until their hearts are eaten away. A rather fitting end for such heartless creatures, wouldn't you say?"

Karlie knew that she had to move carefully. She didn't want to give Kenderick a chance to use the controller in his hand, or the other vampires wouldn't stand a chance of surviving. She had to distract Kenderick, get him off his guard so that she could have the advantage.

"You accuse vampires of being mindless violent monsters, Kenderick." She spat angrily, as she moved parallel to Kenderick, keeping him in her sights, but moving no closer to him, "But you're worse than all you think we re capable of. Why do you think all of us are even here? We are trying to defend our own kind. We're willing to die to make sure that happens. And what are you? You're right, Kenderick. Regardless of how this ends, you are going to die today. And you will die alone, for a cause that no one will remember once you're gone and that won't make any difference in the world. You abandoned your only son to do it, because you couldn't stand the thought stepping away from another hunt to help him."

That did it. Kenderick rose to Karlie's bait. Letting out a cold snarl, he drew his gun and aimed it at Karlie, but she was to fast, even for him who had been trained to fight vampires all his life. During her whole speech to Kenderick, Karlie hadn't been aiming to get closer to him; she had been heading straight for the control panel that she had spotted as soon as she had entered the lab, the control panel that controlled the lighting in the room. Jumping the last few feet and avoiding the bullets that were flying from Kenderick's gun, she smashed the panel.

Immediately, the lights in the room began to blink on and off, creating a blinding and confusing array of lights. For a few precious moments, no one knew what was going or where anyone was, least of all Kenderick, who didn't have enhanced hearing or smell to compensate for the loss of his eyesight. He turned wildly about him, trying to make out any form that might resemble Karlie, but all he could make out were indeterminate masses of dark color that could have been anything. So, he didn't see it, when Karlie, fully vamped out and enraged, descended onto his back from above.

She knocked Kenderick off balance, and they both landed heavily to the metal floor. The controller was knocked from Kenderick's hand and it slid a few feet away. The odds had been evened, as it was now just Karlie against Kenderick. Kenderick was swifter than most humans would have been in the same situation due to his training. He recovered himself quickly and leaped to his feet. Karlie was up almost the same moment and she turned to face him with a fearsome growl.

They circled each other a few times, looking for any weaknesses that they could exploit. Kenderick suddenly fainted to his right, cutting across Karlie's face with a vicious left hook. Karlie was knocked back a few paces. But, she came at him, punching and kicking combinations to get Kenderick off his guard, but the hunter held his own blocking her kicks, and dodging her bone breaking blows.

It was a violent struggle, and for a time, not even the onlookers were fully aware of who was winning and who was losing. Then, the backup generators kicked in and the lights blazed back on. Kenderick once again was momentarily blinded by the light, and that's when Karlie made her move. Screeching like a harpy, she barreled into Kenderick, sending him sliding into the far wall with a sickening crunch. The blow had broken several of his ribs, and he slumped to the ground, barely conscious. Karlie was on him the next moment, hitting, punching and kicking Kenderick's prone form in a blind, blood-frenzied fury. She had been determined that she would kill Kenderick, and her inner predator wasn't about to be satisfied until she has seen his entrails decorating the lab where he killed so many of her kind.

However, Carlisle was there to intervene. Once the lights came back, he alone stepped out from the rest of the vampires, and came towards Karlie. "Karlie, stop. That's enough." He grabbed both of her hands arms and pulled firmly, but gently away from Kenderick's broken body.

Karlie, for a moment, was still blinded by her rage and she wasn't happy that Carlisle was dragging her away from what se believed was rightly her kill. "Why are you defending him, Carlisle?" She demanded, with a blood-chilling growl, "He's killed hundreds without compunction, brutally tortured dozens more, and now you want me to stop from doing the same thing to him? What does he have to be shown our compassion?"

"He has no right and he deserves no compassion. I'm not defending him, Karlie, but think of what you are doing. If you kill him like this, than you will be proving to him even in his final moments, that vampires are truly the monsters that he makes them out to be."

"And you honestly think sparing him the death he deserves would change his opinion at all?"

Carlisle shook his head. "No, only for what you know to be the truth of who you really are. He is dead already, Karlie. Let that be enough."

For a long moment of silence, Karlie looked at Carlisle, and then she looked at Kenderick. Slowly, her face returned to its mortal form, and her anger slowly ceased. There was wisdom in what Carlisle said. As much as she still hated Kenderick for the pain he had caused her people, she would not be the butcher for the mass murderer.

Besides, as Carlisle had said, Kenderick was dead already. The hunter had been defeated at last. The vampires had won.

* * *

><p>Scott Kenderick is finally dead. I know that all of you have been rooting for that to happen probably about twelve chapters ago, and I hope that it was a worthy ending. Please review and tell me what you think.<p>

Also, as a late Christmas gift/New Year's present, I will be finishing this story tomorrow. I have all of the chapters finished and all I need to do is a few last minute checks and they will be all ready for posting. Look for the last three installments tomorrow.

Next chapter: The battle is over. However, one last harrowing challenge awaits our favorite vampires before this nightmare can be fully put behind them. And in the face of death, Cory finds a renewed sense of who he is and what he wants from life. Ultimately, as everyone involved in this adventure has found out, the most important thing for anyone to have is family.


	30. Changing Times

As I promised, here are the final three chapters of Sins of the Father. To star it off, the moment that everyone has been waiting for. Hopefully, it will be dramatic and heartwarming enough, as all turning scenes should be.

Changing Times:

Admittedly, Beth had not been thrilled at being relegated to the back of the truck which was monitoring the transmissions of both ally and enemy. She still felt like her place was beside Mick. But she had also forced her self to see the logic behind Josef's plan. There was too much at stake for her to be petulant. Besides, as Mick had promised her, this would be the last time that ever happened.

So, she sat in the van with Ryder and Logan, listening to the progress of the battle over her headset. She heard the first stages of the assault by the vampires on the compound, heard Mick and Josef's calm instructions to the vampires who were following them. She found herself admiring the way that the two of them worked under pressure together, and it gave her hope that indeed they could make it out of the fray alive.

There was a brief moment of panic when the transmissions which had been coming from Karlie's team were suddenly blacked out. Having entered the main barracks and making her way to the lab, both Ryder and Logan were fairly certain that Kenderick had found some way to break into their communications, leaving Karlie's unit isolated and on their own. She could hear that there was a slight strain Josef's voice when he received the news, but he still pressed forward. The teams were finally making some headway on Kenderick's men, and he couldn't abandon that simply for the sake of making sure that Karlie was all right.

Beth was able to follow the action of that final sortie that brought the vampires victory. The vampires had managed to divide Kenderick's men cutting them off from each other. Given the confusion that both Ryder and Logan were loading their signals with, the humans were unable to hear anything that their commander told them.

The vampires took advantage of this confusion, forcing the humans into ever smaller numbers, until finally there was none left to fight back. After an initial sweep of the surrounding areas, Beth finally got the message that she had been waiting for. "All right, Ryder, Logan. Tell Beth that all is clear. She can come and join her prince charming."

Beth was already on her feet and half way out the door before Josef was even done with his message. "I think that she knows that, boss." Said Ryder, with a laugh. "She's already on her way to your location."

Beth had been used to seeing dead bodies during her investigative work with Buzzwire, but she had never seen a battlefield strewn with so many, most of them mangled and twisted beyond recognition. It was disturbing, but she also knew that if those humans had not been killed, than the violence would never have stopped. Nevertheless, it was one that she hoped that she only had to see a few times during her lifetime.

However, all of that vanished for a moment when she saw Mick and Josef. Their backs were turned to her, and they seemed to be surveying the damage of the compound, perhaps assessing how many vampire lives had been lost during the assault. She was so happy to see Mick alive and well, that for a moment she forgot she was surrounded by dead bodies and just wanted to run and hug him, hold him close to her so that she would know for certain that he was okay.

But that joy was short lived. For she suddenly saw movement upon the field. In the midst of the dead, a living soul had been missed; there were some hunters who did not give up the pursuit, until their last breath.

The entire world seemed to slow to a crawl. Beth saw Louis reaching for his gun, saw him aim it at Mick's back, and she knew that it would all end if she didn't do something. She couldn't shout a warning, as her voice seemed to have been silenced. But it wouldn't have made a different anyway. Even with Mick's vampire reflexes, he wouldn't have been able to get out of the way of that silver bullet in time.

With no thought to her own safety, and seeking only to save the man that she loved, she seemed to see the flight of the bullet as it was released from its weapon and sang its way through the air. She seemed to know exactly what she was supposed to do and where to run, so that the bullet found it's way into her.

Both Mick and Josef realized what was going on too late. They smelled the sudden fresh blood of Beth's unique blood type carried on the summer breeze, and turned around to see Beth falling to the ground, red spreading across her chest where the bullet had impacted. When Mick saw her fall, it was as though he was seeing his world collapse in on itself. He felt like he was watching a repeat of that terrible day by the lake when Josh was dying, when Beth had begged her to turn him. That was the day when they had nearly been torn apart because of the differences between them, the day when Mick had been certain that they couldn't continue.

But this was also entirely different. If Mick couldn't save Beth, then he might as well stop living. He rushed over to her, cradling her in his arms. "Beth, Beth come on, stay with me." His heart sank when he saw that Beth didn't even respond to his frantic pleas for her to open her eyes. He didn't even need to hear her swiftly failing heartbeat to know that she only had minutes left.

Josef's reaction to seeing Beth injured was to lose control. He had been calm and clear headed during the preceding battle. He had needed to be, in order to get the job done. But when he saw that someone had tried to hurt Beth, he wasn't about to let Louis get away with it. Beth had almost become like a little sister to him and he didn't like anyone trying to hurt her. His eyes immediately bled silver and the fangs appeared in his mouth. He dropped the gun that he had been using for all his kills during the last few hours. He leapt onto Louis, and tore the man's head from his shoulders with a savage roar. It was unnecessary as Louis would have died eventually that day. But Josef was not ready to let nature make that choice for him.

After beheading Louis and leaving the hunter's corpse to rot in the sun, he hurried over to his friend, who was still holding Beth in his arms. "Mick, Mick how is she?" he asked in a worried tone.

"She's dying, Josef." Said Mick, his voice broken, and the tears in his eyes falling down his face. "I can't get her to respond, even to my voice. The bullet pierced her lung; she's bleeding into her lungs. If I remove the bullet, the damage will just be worse. But if I leave it in, she'll die drowning in her own blood."

Since Mick had asked Josef to help him turn Beth, he had taken it up himself to make sure that his friend actually went through with it. Now, he had his work cut out for him. Even now, he could see Mick hovering on the brink of indecision. Josef knew that the possibility had occurred to him, but Mick was still resisting. He had to make sure that didn't happen. "Then I think we both know what you have to do."

Mick looked up at Josef, the shock in his eyes showing through his grief. "Are you suggesting that I turn her here, now?"

"What other choice do you have, Mick?" Josef pressed. "You said it yourself, Beth is dying. You have the power to save her."

"Not like this." Protested Mick, "This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Beth was supposed to pick her own time and place. I wanted her to have the chance that…" Mick stopped abruptly, leaving the sentence unfinished, but both of them knew when he was going to say. He had wanted Beth to have the chance that he had never had. He had wanted her first moments as a vampire to start out right.

Josef could understand Mick's reluctance. He had been in the same place when he was turned. However, he wasn't about to let Mick stop himself from turning Beth because of something as transient as surroundings. "Mick, Beth had already made her choice, but not everyone can have the luxury of choosing when that time will be." Seeing that Mick was still hesitating, Josef had to clamp down his impulse to grab him and shake some sense into him. Seeing no other option, he decided that he had to do something drastic.

He reached for Beth and grabbed hold of her, trying to forcibly wrench her away from Mick's grasp. "What are you doing?" Mick cried, his grip on immediately tightening on instinct.

"If you can't turn Beth, Mick, then I will." Josef demanded, throwing down his final challenge to Mick. "I'm not going to let you sit and watch her life drain away, all the while knowing that the moment she breathes her last, your entire existence will be over. Beth dying isn't an option, Mick. And I am not going to stand by and lose both of you. Now make your choice, before I make it for you."

Mick realized that Josef was right. When it came right down to it, he realized that he couldn't lose Beth, nor did he want anyone else to turn her but himself. With a start, he realized that he had always thought that, that he had known he would always be the one to turn Beth, because they had been meant to be together, forever. This wasn't like the time when he had been turned, he wasn't Coraline, and he was going to be Beth's sire, regardless of what all his fears had once told him.

Taking a deep breath, he looked down at Beth's pale, dying face and said, with infinite tenderness, "I love you, Beth, always."

His eyes then turned silver and his fangs were unsheathed. He exposed Beth's throat, and bit down into her skin. He knew at once that this was a different type of feeding than all the other times he had drink her blood for the pleasure of them both. It was even different from slaking his thirst with a freshie. His mind and body knew that this was a matter of life and death, and that a connection needed to be made. For a moment, Mick felt as though he were inside of her very soul, that the two of them were becoming connected intimately. It was a sensation that was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time. It seemed like it lasted an eternity, though it was really only a few seconds.

Josef watched Mick carefully. He knew that he would be able to stop when the time was right, but he still wanted to be sure. He saw that there was no more blood pooling in the wound. That was what he had been looking for. But, before he could tell his friend, Mick suddenly stopped drinking from Beth.

"Her heart's almost stopped." He said, as he raised his sleeve and bit into his wrist. As his own blood began to flow, he held it up to her mouth, and began to drip the blood into it. "Get her to swallow for me, Josef." He said, "In her condition, I don't know if her own muscles will respond in time."

Josef complied, and for a few breathless seconds, Mick waited in an agony of uncertainty. "How will I know when the change has taken place?" He asked Josef, when he saw no signs of change.

"Her fangs will be the first to grow." Said Josef, "You'll feel them biting down on your wrist. From that time, instinct will take over."

Before the words had even left his mouth, Mick winced in pain as he felt a pair of fangs biting deeper into his wrist, and felt Beth beginning to drink from the cut on his wrist on her own. A moment later, Beth's eyes opened, and Mick saw their silver hue reflected in his own. He didn't try to stop the wave of relief that washed over him when he saw this sign. Beth had made the transformation. It had only taken five minutes for the change to occur, only five minutes for their lives to truly begin.

After a few minutes of drinking, the fog which had been hovering over Beth's mind gradually began to clear. Her last memory of was the searing agony of something sharp entering her body. After that, nothing was certain. She had just had the strange sensation of her consciousness hovering within a body that no longer worked. But she had clung to that last bit of life, convinced that things were not over for her, and could not end in that way.

Then, had come the spark of light in the midst of the shadowed grey. She had felt something flowing into her body. It had only been a slow trickle at first, but she had known that was what her body needed to survive, and her instincts had guided her actions from there. She had been begun to draw that life giving source of liquid into herself, and as she had done so, she began to remember.

Mick, she had saved Mick. But it had been at the price of her own mortality. But she was being brought back, Mick was changing her. She was being turned into a vampire. Just as Mick had felt when he had drunk her blood, the first time that she tasted the blood of her sire, Beth found herself feeling that he was feeling. His fear that she wouldn't survive the change, the regret that it had to take place in the present moment, but above all else, a deep, overwhelming tide of love. How could she have ever known that Mick loved her so deeply? She had always known that he loved, but she had never quite understood what it meant to love with an immortal heart. The fact that it was all for her made her will to live grow even stronger, until she finally felt herself being pushed up swiftly into the light.

She opened her eyes, and the first thing that he vampire eyes saw was Mick, looking down at her with an expression of relief and joy. "Beth, Beth, can you hear me?"

Of course she could hear him. She could hear him better than she ever had before. Had his voice always been that beautiful? And his face, it nearly took her breath away. The amount of detail that she saw and the color and definition were unlike anything she could have imagined. It didn't really help, however, to have that blinding sun ruining the effect. And the sun's heat itself felt a lot more intense than what she was used to.

These were Beth's first sensations as a vampire. It went beyond even what she had expected. No amount of preparation could have prepared her. But it was enough to know that Mick was there beside her, and that she would never have to leave his side again. She smiled up at him and said, "Yeah, I can hear you."

Mick felt his soar straight into the sky. He gathered Beth to him in a hug, making no attempt, as he had done in the past to pull his strength back for fear of hurting her. He was strangely gratified to feel her return the embrace with the same strength. "Don't you ever do that to me again, you hear me?" He admonished, through eyes that were rapidly blinking back tears.

"Just look out for me as closely as I will you and you'll never have to." She said, relishing the way that she and Mick were finally together.

At this moment, Josef's attention was torn away from the happy reunion of Mick and Beth to the approach of someone who was just as important to him as the two of them were to each other. Turning around, he saw Karlie coming towards him, followed by two others. He got to his feet and hurried over to her. "Karlie, sweetheart." He said, as he swept her up into a relieved embrace. "I'm so glad that you're all right. When the communications went dead on your end, I didn't know what to think."

"That was Kenderick." Said Karlie, "He set up a dampening field around the lab. He tried to use the vampires there as leverage for us to back down."

"I take it that didn't work."

Karlie shook her head, a grim expression in her eyes. "No, it didn't. He's been taken care of. He is still alive, but he is hovering on the brink of death. He won't last another twenty-four hours."

Josef closed his eyes and breathe a deep sigh of relief. "It's over, then?" he said.

"Yes." Karlie said simply. All of it was over. The battle had been won, and the vampires of Los Angeles were freed from the specter of the hunters which had been looming over them. And for Karlie and Josef, the blood feud which had been started nearly twenty-five years before was finally ended.

They were so relieved that for a moment, Karlie hadn't noticed the intense smell of blood and death that clung to Josef. Now, as the first wave of that happiness on seeing each other passed, she began to smell and to see that something was very wrong. "Josef, what about you? Are you all right?" She could see that his hands were covered with blood. "What happened? How did you lose so much blood?"

"It's not my blood." Said Josef, "its Beth's. We thought that the compound was safe, but there was still a hunter who had one gun loaded. He was aiming for Mick, but Beth stepped in the line of the shot and-"

"Oh god, no." breathed Karlie in horror. "Not Beth, not her. Mick will kill himself if anything happens to her."

"Calm down, sweetheart. I think if you take a moment to smell the air around you, you may not smell human. But you'll smell who has been newly turned." He stepped aside and pointed behind him to where Mick and Beth were sitting. Mick still had his arms around Beth, still helping her through the final stages of the change. As if sensing that they had an audience, the two looked up at Karlie and Josef. The joy radiating out from the pair was so intense that Karlie couldn't help but smile in response to it. "Well, I suppose that I had better go over and be the first to welcome her to the tribe."

"Make that two of us." Said Josef.

* * *

><p>Yes, that's right. Beth is finally a vampire. I love a happy ending. Of course, there is still the issue of Scott Kenderick to resolve, and that will be a little more somber.<p> 


	31. From Darkness to Light

From Darkness to Light:

When Cory received the news that his father was near death, it was with stone-faced stoicism. He showed barely any emotion, beyond a deep, though resigned sadness in his eyes. When Simone and Travis asked if he wanted to say goodbye, he merely nodded wordlessly.

They rode in the silence to the compound. The vampires had done a fairly good job of cleaning up the blood and various human body parts, so Cory saw little of the aftermath of the battle, which was probably for the best. As they arrived to the compound, it still had an air of somber despair about it, a testament to the pain and suffering that had taken place there.

An unnamed vampire was waiting for them at the door, and he took them to the room that Cory knew well. It was his father's room. Only now, his father was lying on the bed. There were no machines hooked up to him, only an IV giving him fluids. He looked terrible, his skin pallid and thin. It was clear that he was dying and could go at any moment. Their guide left them alone. "Why would they do this?" Cory asked, "Dad was their enemy. He would have killed anyone of them without a single thought."

"They did kill him, Cory." Said Simone, softly, "You have to understand that. Vampires only have their secrecy to defend them, and if anything or anyone gets in their way, they have to take care of them. But they're not inhumane."

"Karlie once told me that she wished she could say goodbye to her father properly. She wanted you to have the opportunity." Travis added.

Cory nodded, knowing that this would be the last time that he ever saw his father alive. He had learned many hard things about Scott in the past few months, but he had still been his father. Cory would still be grieving for him, and this would not be easy.

"I would like to be alone, if you don't mind." He said, to Simone and Travis.

"We'll be right outside." Said Travis, as he and Simone quietly left the room.

Cory walked slowly up to the bed and sat down on a chair that was beside it. He didn't know how long his vigil would be, but he was determined to sit it out until the end.

A few hours passed, and no change occurred. Finally, however, his father stirred. His eyes opened slowly, and even then, Cory could see that they were foggy and filmy. He seemed confused, as to where he was and what had brought there.

Cory placed a gentle hand on top of his father's. "Hey, dad, it's me, Cory."

Scott turned his gaze to Cory, and a relieved smile spread across his face. "Cory, my boy, I've been so worried about you. Are you all right?'

"Yes, dad. I'm fine."

"You managed to escape, did you? I have rather fuzzy memories of the last few days. I think that there was an attack. I was involved in a conflict with a vampire. I think that I'm dying. A hunter always knows when he has fought his last battle. I'm just glad that you're safe."

"Yeah, I am safe, dad. In fact, you saved me."

For a long moment, Scott didn't respond, but than he smiled. "I did. Well, I suppose that I did manage to do one right thing today." It seemed as though, at the very end of his life, the hatred and the malice which had so tainted Scott Kenderick's gifts were lessened. Now, faced with death, he found that his life-long quest and obsession to eliminate what he called the greatest evil on earth no longer truly mattered. All he really knew was that he had to make things right with his son.

"Cory, I know that I've let you down. I-I can't do anything to make it up to you. All I can say is that I'm sorry. I hope, one day, you can forgive me."

Cory was silent. Then, he placed a hand on his father's shoulder and said, softly, "I forgive you, dad."

Scott smiled, a smile of relief and love, the love which he had never been able to fully show in life, and which had always been clouded by other things. He closed his eyes, and five minutes later, Scott Kenderick breathed his last.

Cory sat there for what seemed like hours. He didn't cry. For the moment, his tears were spent. He was sure that he would grieve later. However, all he felt at this precise moment was a strange sense of release, as though a burden he had not been aware of was now lifted once and for all from his shoulders. No more would he have to worry about whether or not he was living up to his father's expectations. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was his own to live.

Scott Kenderick had not left much of a legacy behind him. All he had done was fueled by irrational and violent hatred. Blood of countless innocents was on his hands. However, he had left one good thing behind by his example. Cory had not been lying when he had said that his father had saved him. By his own example, he had shown Cory that a life that was ruled by hatred came to nothing. See this played out in the life of his father, Cory had found the courage to lead a better life. For a man whose epitaph was the names of innocents, perhaps this was one saving grace.

* * *

><p>In the immediate aftermath of the attack on Kenderick's compound, much of the activity was centered on Kenderick's laboratory. The Cleaners, after sweeping the surrounding area to search for any survivors, returned to dispose of the bodies. The humans would not be associated with vampire killings and the weapons of the hunters would be destroyed. There would be no evidence of Scott Kenderick's activities. All in all, the attack had taken care of about half the hunters, but the key ring leaders had been taken care of. As for vampire losses, there had been ten who had lost their lives. They would be honored dead when the time came for a fitting memorial service. It was a loss, but all involved knew that it could have been much worse.<p>

As for the vampires who had been used for Kenderick's experiments and harvesting, a good many of them survived. Families who had been worried by the separation began to trickle in, and there were as many joyful reunions that day, as there was mourning. No doubt the most touching scene of all was that of Logan Smith and his girlfriend, Antonia Allendez. It seemed only fitting that the two which had started this whole series of events should be the ones to end it.

Then, about mid evening, Carlisle took Josef and Karlie aside. "Scott Kenderick is dead." Was all he said, but it spoke volumes to see the relief with which the news was greeted by the two of them.

"How's Cory taking it?" Josef asked.

"Well, enough. At least, as well as someone in his place can take it. He has asked if he could have his father's body. He wants to give it a proper burial."

"Of course," Karlie's response was so automatic that both Josef and Carlisle looked at her. Considering her animosity against Cory from almost the very beginning, it seemed strange that she should be the first to leap to his defense. "Kenderick's dead." Karlie explained, "The legacy he left behind must be buried with him, or there will be no end to this."

Josef put his arm around Karlie's waist, proud that she had come to such a wise decision. "I guess that answers your question, Carlisle. Tell Cory he can have Kenderick's body. Inform my people they shouldn't deface it in anyway. Karlie's right; Kenderick should no longer be an influence for violence now that he's dead."

Carlisle nodded. "Have either of you seen Beth or Mick, by the way?"

"Beth was becoming overwhelmed by the small of blood." Said Karlie, "She asked Mick to take her back to the apartment before she turned aggressive."

"A battlefield is not the ideal place to be turned." Said Josef, "I speak from experience. I sure hope Mick doesn't beat himself up about that."

"The very fact that he turned her at all says something." Said Karlie, "I think Mick will be all right."

"Let's hope." Said Carlisle, "I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes for something good to come from this."

* * *

><p>The final stretches of sunset soon gave rise to a silver moon. As midnight rolled around, in a freezer in a penthouse in the heart of Los Angeles, Mick St John, stirred. And for the first time in his near ninety yeas, he did not wake up alone.<p>

Mick had actually ordered the double wide freezer a few months before, though he hadn't told Beth about it. He had still thought that he was dead-set against turning her at that point, and yet, some unexplained, and largely ignored part of him had thought that it might be a good idea to have one around, just in case.

And now, he had turned her. It was true the circumstances were not what he would have wished for. But in the last few hours, he had known that he had ultimately made the right and best choice. Something which had been missing ever since he had been turned had been restored to him. He would never be alone again, and being alone was truly the worst fate for any vampire to have to face.

And Beth was going to be a wonderful vampire. He was determined that he was going to give her the very best start of everything that had been denied him when he had been turned.

Of course, he had not been expecting her to practically turn on him the first moment that they were alone. Mick couldn't help smiling a bit wolfishly at the memory. Of yes, she had her way with him, and he had enjoyed every minute. The moment when Beth had first drunk from him sent a shudder through him. Damn if Josef wasn't right, again. Being a sire was definitely adding some spice to the relationship.

Beth murmured something in her sleep, turning towards him and burying her head in his side, she wouldn't be waking up for awhile, and Mick had no interest in waking her just yet. He pulled her close and contented himself with simply watching her sleep.

This night, this moment, Mick would have asked for nothing more. At last, he was truly content.

* * *

><p>I hope that Cory's farewell to his father was satisfactory. I did want to make Scott Kenderick a bad guy that everyone would want to die, but I also wanted to make him somewhat human. It just makes stories like this more interesting for me. Plus, Mick is finally happy. It seems like life is only about to start for him. On to the last chapter.<p> 


	32. Epilogue

Epilogue:

A few weeks later, it was all over at last. The last remaining signs of the hunter's compound had been stripped clean of any sign of their activities. The vampires who had managed to survive their incarceration with Kenderick had sufficiently recovered to return to their homes and families. At last report, Antonia was being given the royal treatment by Logan, who was proving to be quite the attentive nursemaid. It seemed as though Logan might finally be ready settle down.

For those who had been affected directly by the episode with Scott Kenderick, the scars would take a lot longer to heal. But there was evidence that some of the darkest times can still bring forth great blessings. From the tragedy, Beth had finally begun a new life as a vampire, and Mick had taken that step which had finally freed him from years of loneliness and misery. In a way, the events with Scott Kenderick had brought the little family of four vampires even closer together.

It had been a more difficult time for Cory. Having lost his father, and the last real link with his childhood, he had a great deal to mourn. He had been forced to grow up in a manner that was far too violent and far too soon for someone of his age. Yet, against all odds, he had shown that there was a strength and determination underneath his insecure exterior. Most important of all, he had a pure and a good heart. He was determined that he would bare no grudge against the vampires, nor would he remember the wrongs his father had done now that he was dead.

He was going to make something of his life now, he was sure of it. He didn't what exactly, but he was open to any number of possibilities. Before he could do anything else, however, he needed to return home, to set his father to rest and to make things right with the rest of the family that he had.

On the day he left Josef's estate, Josef and Karlie were both there to see him off, along with Simone and Travis. "I see that you're all set and ready to be off." Said Josef, as he and Karlie saw them came out with the last of their belongings.

"Yeah." Said Cory, "Thanks for your hospitality. I know that you didn't have to do it."

"It seemed a good idea for the three of you to be in a place that resembled a home." Said Josef.

"Yes, that was a big help, Josef." Said Simone, "We all needed a little time for us to sort things out."

"And of course, you didn't need to come out to see us off." Said Travis, "We would have understood."

"Nonsense." Said Karlie, "None of you were prisoners. You were our guests. As your hosts, we should at least see you off."

Cory was a little surprised when he heard this from Karlie. After all, she had been one of the most aggressive of the vampires towards him, probably with good reason. However, she smiled at him encouragingly, and said, "When you live for as long as we do, it is wise to learn that keeping grudges can only bring pain and despair. I wish you nothing but the best, Cory."

"Thanks." Said Cory, "I'll try to live up to that."

"Don't do it for me. Do it for yourself."

Lastly, Cory came to Josef. The two of them, vampire and human, who had nothing in common, yet in the midst of dark times had found in each other a connection that had changed both of their lives. "Thank you for saving my life." Said Josef, "Try to make something of your life now that you have one to spend."

"I will." Said Cory, "And I have something that I need to say, to all of you. The first book that my dad ever read to me was Dracula. I was only seven, and it gave me nightmares for two years. The thing that I remember most, though, was what he said to me after he had finished. He told me that everything in the story was true, just from a certain point of view. When I was old enough, he said, he would tell me everything. I never knew what he meant until this whole thing happened. I just wanted to say, that's one experience that I won't repeat with my kids, once I have them. They'll never hear about you from me. I promise."

"That's a good promise to hear." Said Josef, "It gives me hope for you."

"I think that's one thing we can all agree on." Said Karlie.

And so Cory Reeves would walk away from the world of vampires, and he would never return. It was for the best that such a thing had to happen. Despite the truce which had been declared between two most unlikely parties, it was only one more example that peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires was yet a long way off.

But there were still some humans who could understand what vampires really were, and could live with keeping the secret.

A few weeks later, at Mick's apartment, Travis and Simone spoke with their vampire friends via skype. Travis and Simone would be staying in Minnesota for the next few months, to help Cory adjust back to a normal life. The rest of his family believed that Cory had been whisked away on some ill-planned and most likely ill-legal enterprise by his father. The details they didn't need to know, especially since it had ended up killing Scott, and could have done the same with Cory.

They had buried Scott Kenderick beside that of his long-neglected wife. Both Travis and Simone didn't go into great detail on that aspect of the return, which was the best for all of them. However, they did have some promising news about Cory himself.

"He's looking at potential colleges already." Said Simone, "He said he wants to use his experiences to help others. He wants to pursue a career in counseling."

"That suits him well." Said Karlie, "He has a way of understanding where a lot of people wouldn't."

"He'll hopefully be getting a lot of practice." Said Travis, "He's looking into programs which mentors at risk children."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Said Mick, "It's good to hear that something good can come out of this for him. That rarely happens with family members of hunters."

"Well, he's not the only one who had something good come out of this." Said Travis, with a smile, "How is Beth doing?"

"She's doing great." Said Mick, as he put an arm around Beth and smiled at her proudly. "She is exceeding all expectations."

"And Mick is probably going to spoil me by praising me to much." Said Beth, "I can't imagine being happier. I am starting to feel that being a vampire is where my journey has been taking me all along."

"It's only just begun." Said Mick, as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Now see what you've started." Said Josef, in mock disgust. "They've been like two love birds ever since Mick turned her. Now we might have to leave early so that they can get their hands on each other a little sooner."

"And were we any better when you first turned me?" said Karlie, with an indulgent smile, "Better get used to it, Josef, the repeated sex between lovers who turn each other helps with the transition."

"Okay, okay, I think we are getting into the realm of information I don't need to know in a thousand years." Said Travis, "Can we leave vampire sex lives out of this?"

"If you want the conversation to be boring, sure." Said Josef.

"I don't think that the conversation will be so boring when we tell what we found out today." Said Simone, with a huge grin.

"Oh, baby news." Said Josef, "I know that look."

"We found out that we're having a boy and a girl." Said Travis, with evident pride, "And we've been discussing what we're going to name them."

"It's a tradition in my family that we name children after people who have had a major influence in our lives." Simone continued.

"Oh, really, this ought to be good." Said Josef.

"Hush, Josef, some of us actually want to hear this." said Beth, "What did you choose?"

"Well, considering all that's happened recently," said Simone, "We thought that Carl Michael would be appropriate for the boy."

"And for the girl, we were thinking Josephine Elizabeth."

There was a moment of silence, as it dawned upon them that Simone and Travis were adapting their own names for their unborn children. "You want to name your twins after all of us?" said Mick, in disbelief.

"Is that so very hard to believe?" said Travis, "You four have played such a huge part in our lives. I mean, if it weren't for you and Josef, Karlie, Simone and I would never have met."

"And you all gave Cory a second chance, in one way or another." Said Simone, "Without you, we might have lost him forever."

"If that's the way that you really feel," said Josef, after a moment, "I can only say that it would be honor to be named after your children."

There were murmurs of agreement all around. "Seems to me that this experience has only taught all of us how important it is to have a family you can trust." Said Mick, "And I think that someone once told me that it takes a lot more than DNA to make a family."

"I'm glad that you remember that." Said Beth.

"In that case," said Karlie, "I think a toast is in order: to family."

All of them wholeheartedly repeated the toast. It was affirmation for them all, that human or vampire, family was really the most important thing for any person to have, be they mortal or immortal.

* * *

><p>And there you have it, kind of a bittersweet ending, but one which I think suits this story rather well. It has been a little darker than I normally do, so in my next stories, I am hoping to do something a little more upbeat while still having a lot of drama. Please be sure to read and review and tell me what you think. Again, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. Being able to read all your comments is truly a blessing.<p>

Speaking of new stories, I do have two new stories which are in the works. It might take a few weeks for me to post them, because I want to make sure that the beginning sections are in good order before I post them. As I have said many times, one is going to be a crossover with Hawaii Five 0, and we will be meeting all the members of Josef's family. As sort of interlude project, I am going to be posting some one-shots over the next few weeks which will introduce them and their back stories. The other story, which is actually the next chronological one, taking place almost directly after Viva Las Vegas, is sort of a spy, mystery thriller, with a brand new character with a familiar name, but a past shrouded in mystery. I will try to give a clearer idea of when those stories will start publishing. In meantime, the first few chapters of Family Album will be posted hopefully sometime next week. Until then, have a great new year.


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